Buttermilk Cachapas (Venezuelan Corn Pancakes)

My first taste of a cachapa was after a night out in Washington Heights, Manhattan. On a block full of Dominican restaurants, whose cuisine I’m very familiar with, I saw a lone Venezuelan restaurant that piqued my interest. Upon entering, I was greeted with images of what looked like large arepas folded over and stuffed with shredded beef, tender pork shoulder, chicken—the options were endless. I ordered one with shredded beef, lettuce, tomato, and a little bit of garlic mayo, and from that moment, there was no turning back. The sweet cachapa, reminiscent of Northern-style cornbread (sweet and cakey versus its more crumbly, less sweet Southern counterpart), and contrasted by the savory fillings, instantly made me a lifelong fan. Here, I played up that cornbread connection by adding buttermilk to the batter for extra tang. The cheese filling is traditional, meat is optional.

Upon further research, my comparison to an arepa, especially the sweeter arepas de choclo found throughout Colombia, wasn’t too far off. While Venezuelans and Colombians have a friendly rivalry over who invented the incredibly delicious arepa, the cachapa's relation to them is undeniable. Typically made with fresh corn in Venezuela, canned corn is just as delicious. Remember to get your hands on "masarepa" flour, which is a precooked cornmeal made especially for dishes like arepas and cachapas. P.A.N. is a popular brand. Be careful not to get "masa harina," which is nixtamalized corn used to make tortillas and is popular in Mexican and Central American kitchens. (Sorry, regular cornmeal or polenta will not work in this recipe!) If cachapas are new to you, I promise they will find their way into your rotation more often than you think.