The arepa is older than Colombia itself, a flat cake of ground maize that the peoples of what is now Colombia and Venezuela were cooking long before the Spanish arrived. Today it is eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner, from street griddles and family stoves, in dozens of regional forms: the thin, plain arepas of Antioquia that accompany almost every paisa meal, the egg filled arepas of the Caribbean coast, the sweet corn arepas of the street stalls. In 2006, a national contest organized by the magazine Semana with the support of the Ministry of Culture chose the arepa as a cultural symbol of the country.

Most Colombian kitchens now start with masarepa, a precooked corn flour that needs only water, salt and a few minutes of kneading. This version mixes grated cheese into the dough and tucks a piece more into the middle, so each arepa splits open to a soft, melting center. Serve them hot, split and buttered, with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee. They are as welcome on a race morning as on a street corner in Medellín, and rather quicker than the formation lap.

The dough

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240 g) masarepa
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 cups (480 ml) lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter
• 1 cup (100 g) whole milk mozzarella or queso blanco

Method

1. Stir the masarepa and salt together in the large bowl. Pour in the lukewarm water and the melted butter and stir with the wooden spoon until there is no dry flour left.
2. Leave the dough in the bowl, uncovered, for 5 minutes so the precooked flour can absorb all the water.
3. Add the grated cheese and knead the dough in the bowl with your hand for 2 minutes, squeezing and folding. If it feels dry or crumbly, add warm water a tablespoon at a time.

Shaping and filling

Ingredients

• 6 oz (170 g) whole milk mozzarella or queso blanco

Method

1. Wet your hands lightly and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball.
2. Press your thumb into the center of a ball to make a deep hollow, then widen it into a cup with your fingers. Put a piece of cheese inside, then gather the edges over it and pinch them closed. Roll it gently between your palms to smooth the seam.
3. Flatten each ball between your palms into a disk about 4 inches (10 cm) across and 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick, turning it as you press. Smooth any cracks around the edge with a wet fingertip.

Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter or vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat the skillet over medium low heat for 3 minutes, then add half the butter and let it melt and foam.
2. Lay 3 arepas in the pan, leaving space between them, and cook without moving them for 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Turn with the spatula and cook for 5 to 6 minutes more. Tap the top with your fingertip; a cooked arepa sounds slightly hollow. Keep the first batch warm on the towel lined plate while you cook the rest with the remaining butter.
4. Brush the tops with a little extra butter and serve straight away, splitting them open at the table.

More from Colombia