Venezuelan cuisine is influenced by its EuropeanKohnstamm, Thomas; Kohn, Beth
"Venezuela."
Lonely Planet. Accessed October 2011. (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

, and French), West African, and indigenous traditions. Venezuelan cuisine varies greatly from one region to another.

Food staple A staple food, food staple, or simply a staple, is a food that is eaten often and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet for a given person or group of people, supplying a large fraction of energy needs an ...

s include corn,

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

plantains Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

, yams, beans and several meats. Potatoes, tomatoes,

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...

s, eggplants,

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

es, spinach and

zucchini The zucchini (; plural: zucchini or zucchinis), courgette (; plural: courgettes) or baby marrow (''Cucurbita pepo'') is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp (rind) are st ...

are also common side dishes in the Venezuelan diet. Ají dulce and papelón are found in most recipes. Worcestershire sauce is also used frequently in stews. Venezuela is also known for having a large variety of white cheese (

queso blanco Queso blanco (), literally ''white cheese'' in Spanish, can refer to many different kinds of cheeses whose only common trait is their white color. The specific cheese referred to depends on the region. Production Queso blanco is considered on ...

), usually named by geographical region.

Main dishes

Typical snacks

Beverages

Beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

* '' Chicha'' * ''

Cocada Cocada are a traditional coconut confectionery found in many parts of Latin America. They are particularly popular in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela and Ecuador. They are oven baked bu ...

'' – Coconut milkshake, found mostly in coastal areas. *

Mango juice A mango is an edible drupe, stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in ...

Passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

juice * ''

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

'' – Non-alcoholic carbonated malt. * ''

Papelón con limón Papelón con limón (Regional Spanish for: Panela with lemon) is a refreshing Venezuelan beverage made with rapadura (raw hardened sugar cane juice), water and lemon or lime juice. It is usually served during the hottest hours of the day, and com ...

'' * '' Ponche crema'' – Served especially during Christmas season. * Venezuelan rum * Frescolita (strawberry-flavored soda) *

Tequila Tequila (; ) is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila northwest of Guadalajara, and in the Jaliscan Highlands ('' Los Altos de Jalisco'') of the central western Mexican s ...

– Served at celebrations.

Breads

* '' Casabe'' –

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

flatbread * ''

Pan dulce Pan dulce, literally meaning "sweet bread", is the general name for a variety of Mexican pastries. Bread was introduced in Mexico by Spanish colonists, settlers and immigrants; however, Mexican pan dulce as we know it today rose to popularity ...

'' – Spanish for "sweet bread" * ''

Pan de jamón Pan de jamón (ham bread) is a typical Venezuelan Christmas bread, filled with ham, raisins and green olives. Many variations have been created, some filling the bread with other ingredients like turkey or cream cheese and others using puff pastry ...

'' – usually filled with ham, olives, and raisins and usually eaten during the Christmas season

Desserts

* ''

Alfajor An ''alfajor'' or ''alajú'' (, plural ''alfajores'') is a traditional confection typically made of flour, honey, and nuts. It is found in Argentina, Peru, Chile, the Philippines, Southern Brazil, Southern France, Spain, and Uruguay. The arche ...

'' – maize cookie with arequipe and grated coconut * ''

Bienmesabe ''Bienmesabe'' (Spanish: "it tastes good to me") is a sweet Spanish dessert prepared with honey, egg yolk, and ground almonds as primary ingredients. Its consistency significantly varies depending upon preparation methods used. The dessert is also ...

'' * '' Brazo gitano'' (the Spanish Swiss roll) * '' Conserva de guayaba'' - Guava confection * '' Pudín de chocolate'' – chocolate pudding * '' Dulce de lechosa'' Green papaya slowed cooked in a syrup flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla * '' Mousse de chocolate'' * '' Quesillo'' – local–style caramel flan * ''Polvorosas'' – butter cookies with cinnamon

Cheese

Queso blanco Queso blanco (), literally ''white cheese'' in Spanish, can refer to many different kinds of cheeses whose only common trait is their white color. The specific cheese referred to depends on the region. Production Queso blanco is considered on ...

is very popular in Venezuela. It is produced all over Venezuela with different flavors and textures. The name of each variety of cheese is usually related to the geographical region. * Cuajada andina * Llanero cheese * Queso blanco duro * Queso de año *

Queso de mano ''Queso de mano'' ("cheese of the hand") is a type of soft, white cheese (queso fresco) most commonly associated with Venezuelan cuisine. It is most often used as a filling for arepas and cachapa. The taste and consistency of the cheese most clo ...

* Queso de Trenza * Guayanés cheese * Paisa cheese * Palmita cheese * Palmizulia cheese * Telita cheese

Other foods

* ''

Salpicón Salpicon (or salpicón, meaning "hodgepodge" or "medley" in Spanish) is a dish of one or more ingredients diced or minced and bound with a sauce or liquid. There are different versions found in Spanish and the broader Latin American cuisine. A sal ...

References

External links

{{Authority control South American cuisine Latin American cuisine