Arab-Venezuelan Food, When Two Cultures of Delicacies Come Together
Venezuela presents its culinary art in the kitchen of the Instituto Superior del Sinaí. Photo: X/ @EmbaVEEgipto
March 1, 2025 Hour: 6:18 pm
Due to strong migratory flows of Arabs to Venezuela during the late nineteenth and twentieth century, especially from Syrians and Lebanese, Arab food has left a deep imprint on Venezuelan gastronomy, fusing into true delicacies that combine the best of both culinary traditions.
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The arrival of Arab immigrants to Venezuela brought with it a wide range of recipes and culinary techniques. In this context, you can find typical ingredients such as wheat, chickpea, honey, garlic, and various spices that have been adapted to the local palates. This cultural integration has allowed Arab food to blend with Venezuelan products, creating a unique flavor.
One of the best examples, are the arepas, a kind of Venezuelan-Colombian traditional bread made from corn in the shape of a disc that is cooked in a hot pan, fused with typical Middle Eastern ingredients. In the web page Cookpad, the user Zandry Abradelo explains the “Arepa Zaatar with Costeño cheese”.
She says for the recipe you must have ready the zaatar with coastal cheese, have ready the dough for arepas: mix 2 cups of corn flour, 2 cups of warm water, salt to taste and 1 tablespoon. of olive oil, mix and pass it 1/2 hour, should not stick to the hands. Then spread the dough into a plastic wrap and place the zaatar as shown in the picture. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Assemble balls of about 4 cm. diameter and flatten with a plate lined with plastic paper. Finally Roast in a teflon pan for both sides.
In addition, other common recipes are the Arab food in Venezuela includes emblematic dishes such as the “kibbeh”, which mixes lamb or beef with bulgur and spices, served as croquettes or in molds. Also popular are “hummus” and “baba ganoush”, creams of chickpeas and roasted aubergines, respectively, which are enjoyed as appetizers with pita bread or arepas.
The “tabulé”, a salad of bulgur, parsley, tomato and onion, brings freshness to meals and the “baklava”, a sweet made with filo dough, nuts and honey syrup, is highly appreciated in festivities reflect the rich fusion of cultures in Venezuelan cuisine and are very popular in the South American country.
The Venezuelan Arab communities usually celebrate their festivities with banquets that highlight these flavors. For weddings and other social ceremonies the tables are usually filled with these traditional dishes that honor their cultural heritage, merging with elements of Venezuelan gastronomy.