Delicious Arepas: A Colombian Culinary Delight

If opposites truly attract, then my home is living proof. My husband and I could not be more different. He is calm, steady, and quietly observant. I am a chatterbox, passionate, animated and occasionally dramatic. Somehow, it works.

One thing we do agree on wholeheartedly is Colombia. My husband fell in love with it so deeply that he practically adopted it as his second home — and with that love came a lifelong devotion to arepas. In Colombia, arepas are not just food; they are a way of life. In fact, they are so important that if a Colombian says they don’t like arepas, it’s said (only half-jokingly) that they are not “really Colombian.”

So, what exactly is an arepa? Picture a small, round pancake made from corn flour — simple, golden, and endlessly comforting. They are eaten daily in Colombia, from breakfast to dinner and everything in between.

What makes arepas truly special is their incredible variety. Recipes change from region to region — from the Andes to the Pacific coast, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. They also change from home to home. Every family has their version, perfected over time. I can promise you this: spend less than a week in Colombia, and you will have tasted at least a dozen different kinds of arepas.

And then there’s the topping debate — because arepas love a good topping. Butter melting into the warm surface, cheese gently softening, or hogao (a rich, cooked blend of onion and tomato) spooned generously on top. Honestly, you can put just about anything on an arepa. Think of them like bread — but better.

My absolute favourite arepa are the sweet ones, served warm with butter or cheese on top. They are comfort food at its finest. The butter melts, the cheese turns perfectly gooey, and suddenly everything feels right with the world. That’s the recipe I want to share — simple, satisfying, and guarantee to make you smile with the very first bite.

Ingredients

• 420 grams tin of sweet corn
• 1 cup of pre-cooked yellow corn flour (I used MASAPAN-MASAREPA)
• 4 tablespoons of brown sugar or sugar
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of grated mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm milk
• Butter to grill

Method

• Blend the corn with some of the water from the tin in a blender or a food processor. Set aside

• In a large bowl mix the pre-cooked corn flour or MASAPAN, sugar, salt, mozzarella cheese. Mix well with a spoon.

• Then add the blended corn and melted butter.

• Start adding the milk to the mixture and with a spatula mix well until you have a batter that is not too thick.

• Working with moist hands, remove 2 tablespoons of the dough, kneed the dough, and flatten it between your palms to form a round patty about 1/4 inch thick. Set them aside on a plate.
• Alternatively make a ball of dough and put it between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten each ball to 1/4 inch patty.

• Melt 1 or 2 spoons of butter into a large skillet on medium heat. Add the arepas and cook them about 5 minutes on one side and then another 5 minutes on the other side. They will have a golden colour with beautiful char spots.

• Top the arepa with a slice of Mozzarella cheese or grated Mozzarella cheese on top of each arepa and let the cheese melt.
• Or you can top them with hogao as well.

• Serve immediately.

Tips

• MASAPAN – MASAREPA is cooked corn flour. You can find it in Latin and Asian stores in Australia.
• You can store leftover arepas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm them on the skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on each side.
• Hogao is a Colombian sofrito traditionally made with spring onions, tomatoes, salt and pepper sautéed over low heat until all the ingredients become soft and caramelised.