Cachapas (Venezuelan Corn Pancakes) Recipe • Curious Cuisiniere (2024)

The sweet-savory flavor is what makes cachapas special. These rustic and thin Venezuelan corn pancakes are filled with cheese.

Corn in Venezuela

Although cachapas are also a well-known dish in Colombia, their origin comes from the central region of Venezuela.

The indigenous people who populated the north-central Miranda region of Venezuela cultivated corn. This cereal was worshiped by the indigenous people and considered of divine origin.

Corn was so special that their worship even became associated with the Christian religion, where they would sow the corn kernels on the feast day of San Isidro Labrador (Saint Isidore the Farm Laborer) to pay tribute to the farmers.

This custom is still done in some Venezuelan farming towns.

What is cachapa?

Cachapa is a thin pancake made with ground fresh corn, cheese, and panela (or sugar), cooked in a budare (a clay or iron plate).

It is then served with queso de mano (Venezuelan fresh cheese) and butter.

This type of cachapa is also known as cachapa de budare.

Cachapa de hoja

Cachapa de hoja (leaf cachapa) has the same ingredients as cachapa de budare, but the batter or dough is wrapped in corn leaves and cooked in boiling water. (It looks like tamales)

A Venezuelan street food

Nowadays cachapas are sold ready and refrigerated in supermarkets, but as any Venezuelan would say, there is nothing like eating it from the streets, where people make their own dough.

Those are called homemade!

Variations in the recipe

The recipe, although simple, has evolved some in the past few years. More people are using canned or frozen corn, as it is easier to obtain throughout the year.

To thicken the batter, corn flour (Maseca) or all-purpose flour is used.

Cheese is often only used for the filling and not in the batter.

What is queso de mano (hand cheese)?

Queso de mano is one of the most popular cheeses in Venezuela. Its origin dates from approximately the sixteenth century.

Its name comes from the process of making this cheese: once the milk has curdled, it is boiled, and it is given a circular shape by hand.

This cheese is creamy, juicy, and smooth, and many Venezuelans replace it with fresh mozzarella when they are making cachapas outside of Venezuela.

Sometimes you can find queso de mano in Latin American stores around the USA.

Difference between arepas and cachapas in Venezuela

Arepas and cachapas are very popular in Venezuela. They look similar, but the ingredients and how they are served are different.

A Venezuelan arepa is a type of round and flattened bread, which is made with corn flour and its origin dates back to pre-Columbian times. In those times, the indigenous people ground dry corn between two smooth stones to make flour, formed the arepas, and then cooked them in the aripo, a clay plate.

Arepas are filled with different stews and veggies. One of the most popular fillings is made with chicken and avocado.

Cachapas on the other hand, are golden fried corn cakes made from fresh corn. They are tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. They come stuffed with queso de mano.

Arepas are sliced to make a little pocket and then filled, while the cachapas are folded in half to put the cheese on them.

Either make a delicious snack or breakfast!