20 venezuelan recipes

That's why you should always make salsa from the scratch. It's simple and refreshing. The best thing is that you can control the amount of salt you put in.

Quesillo! Venezuela's silky three-milk custard baked in a caramel-lined pan. Just 6 ingredients, a blender, and a water bath stand between you and the smoothest flan you've ever tasted.

Carne Mechada: fork-tender flank steak simmered in broth, hand-shredded, then pan-fried with paprika, peppers, and tomatoes until saucy and rich. A Venezuelan staple for arepas and rice.

A punchy Venezuelan marinade with curry, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and spicy barbecue sauce. Mix it in 10 minutes flat and slather it on any cut of meat for bold, smoky-spiced flavor.

Bien Me Sabe! Layers of brandy-soaked ladyfingers, lush coconut cream filling, and golden meringue make this classic Venezuelan dessert impossible to resist. Chills overnight for the easiest showstopper.

Shell-on shrimp sauteed in garlic-chili oil, piled over meltingly soft red peppers slow-cooked in Spanish olive oil. Tear off crusty bread, soak it in that rose-colored oil, and feast.

Guasacaca is the Venezuelan avocado salsa: chunky avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce blitzed rough. Served alongside arepas, grilled meats, or tortilla chips.

Hallacas are Venezuela's Christmas tamales: beef, pork, chickpeas, olives, raisins, and capers wrapped in cornmeal dough and banana leaves, then boiled. Holiday tradition in every bite.

Pan de jamon is the Venezuelan Christmas bread: a soft, butter-rich dough rolled around ham, smoked bacon, olives, and raisins, then baked into a golden spiral loaf.

Oven baked sweet plantains slice ripe plantains on the bias and roast in a hot oven until golden, caramelized, and candy-sweet. A two-ingredient, no-fry side.

Papelon lemonade mixes Venezuelan unrefined cane sugar (brown sugar substitute) with fresh lemon juice over ice. Base for a tropical Tom or John Collins variation.

Sauteed plantains pan-fry ripe yellow plantains in canola oil until golden and caramelized. Three ingredients, ten minutes, the simplest Caribbean side.

Ham crescent rolls stuff soft, buttery yeast dough with diced ham, rolled into crescents and baked golden. A Venezuelan-style homemade take on the supermarket classic.

Passion fruit mousse blends fresh passion fruit pulp with sweetened condensed milk, served chilled inside the emptied fruit shells with a cherry on top. Two-ingredient tropical dessert.

Frescavena is the beloved Venezuelan oat drink: fine-blended oat cereal and sugar stirred into cold milk or water over ice. Creamy, wholesome, easy to customize.

Corn pancakes with cheese (cachapas) puree fresh corn into a silky batter, griddle into golden pancakes, and fold warm around a stick of gouda. A Venezuelan street food classic.