arepa café: December 2013

HOLIDAY HOURS:

OPEN:

DEC 24 AND DEC 31 FROM 11 AM TO 3 PM

CLOSED:

DEC 25; JAN 01; 02

OPEN AGAIN FRIDAY JAN 03, 2014

Every Holiday Season at Arepa Café we make 'Hallacas'

The Hallaca is a traditional dish from Venezuela. One the most exotic Venezuelan national dish. It combines the indigenous bananas leaves, a rich Spanish filling of beef, chicken, pork, olives and vegetables, with aromatic African spices.

It's origin is unclear. It could have arisen for the Spanish colonists homesickness for their tasty and elaborate meals. On this view we may relate the Hallaca to the Empanada Gallega (a pasty from Galicia). The filling is basically similar, with maize substituting for flour and the banana leaf for wrapping.

Another alternative theory attributes the Hallaca to Venezuelan rich aristocracy, where servants and slaves used the leftovers from the tables of their masters, whose meals had a distinctly European character. Adapting these eclectic ingredients to their African and indigenous tastes, the slaves created one of the most creative, flavourful and richly seasoned Latin-American dish.

We are proud to cook Hallacas every year, continuing the tradition and offering an intimate cooking moment to share with co-workers, and ultimately serving them to our customers. The making of the Hallacas involves many hands, and lots of preparation prior to ensambling it all together. Each year we master this dish, better and better!

Today, we serve the delicious dish at our restaurant during the Christmas Season.

CALL 416-362.4111 and place your order soon! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!