Did you know the Venezuelan hallaca?, culinary art and tradition in Latin America. 🍲
✨ La Hallaca, culinary symbol of Venezuela 🇻🇪
Hey bro! Get ready, because "hallaca" is much more than a dish, it is a family tradition, passed down from generation to generation, and filled with flavors and love when everyone gathers in the kitchen. It is a Christmas ritual that cannot be missing in any Venezuelan home.
Well then, The hallaca is a type of bun wrapped in banana leaves, filled with a delicious and aromatic stew that contains meat, olives, capers, raisins and a lot of spices.
When the hallacas are made, they are cooked in large quantities, at least 50 units, as they are to be enjoyed throughout the month of December, which is when Christmas happens in Venezuela.
Here is the championship recipe for this Venezuelan Christmas treasure:
📝 Ingredients:
For the stew: (heart of the hallacas)
- Meats: Beef, pork, chicken and/or chicken, smoked bacon. 1 kilo of each type at least.
- Spices: Garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, "sweet peppers", curry.
- ornaments: olives, capers, raisins, pickles.
- juices: Red wine, paper melted in water. 1 cup.
For mass:
- Precooked cornmeal: Type Flour bread, the Queen of the Hallacas. 1 kilo.
- Meat or chicken broth: To flavor the dough. 1 liter
- 500 g of lard or onotado oil (oil colored with onoto or annatto seeds), to color the dough.
- a touch of salt and sugar in a balanced way.
To wrap and assemble:
- Banana leaves: washed, deveined and cut into large rectangles.
- Wick: thick thread to tie them.
👐 Preparation:
Get to work!
The stew: Suffry the meats with onion, garlic and paprika. Add the spices, the paper and a little liquid (broth, wine or beer). Let cook until the meat is tender and the stew reduces. This will take you a little less than 1 hour.
The dough: Mix the pre-cooked corn flour with the hot broth and the colored oil or butter. Knead until you obtain a soft and homogeneous dough.
Assembling of hallacas: Spread a banana leaf, spread a little butter on it so that the dough does not stick, Then place the portion of dough spread out like a round tortilla and on top make a generous spoonful of the stew with its decorations. Finally, close the hallaca like an envelope by carefully folding the sheet, first closing the sides and then rolling it up. Make sure it is well sealed so that it does not fall apart in the next step. Tie with the wick, crossing it firmly but without tightening too much.
Cooking: the final touch! Boil the hallacas in a large pot in plenty of water for about 1 to 2 hours.
Finally, take them out and let them drain.
🫵 Additional tips that a Venezuelan would give you in this recipe:
Family is the best ingredient. Hallaca is not made alone; This dish is enjoyed from sharing in preparation to tasting at the table!
Banana leaves must be fresh.
Serve your hot habit, along with chicken salad and ham bread. And if it is also accompanied with good music and bonuses, much more beautiful.
When you eat it, you will feel like Venezuela hugs you with each bite.