Food in South America often gets mixed reviews. Overall, many people agree that South American food is just fine, not super great but just fine. We, however, think food in South American food is amazing! From incredible ceviche in Peru and Chile, to steaks and wine in Venezuela, Pan de queijo in Brazil and so many more, we think it is all about knowing what to order where!
We should also preface this blog by pointing out that at the moment Venezuela is going through an ongoing food shortage leading to many basic ingredients lacking in supermarkets in Venezuela. You can still find amazing food in Venezuela, however for many local the cost from high levels of inflation makes eating difficult on a daily basis. Similar to Cuban cuisine, it is often said that you can get the best Venezuelan cuisine now outside of Venezuela in places with lots of Venezuelan migrants such as the USA and Colombia.
Arepas
This is the OG Venezuelan food and the one that everyone Venezuelan says they do the best! An arepa is a circular unleavened flat bread maid from ground corn meal. This is served with any meals and is often grilled or fried and cut open and stuffed with various ingredients. Popular fillings include cheese, shredded chicken or beef, avocado, black beans and plantains. Our favourite is shredded beef with cheese. The crispiness of the grilled outside is amazing and a must try when in Caracas!
Tequeños
Tequeños are a traditional Venezuelan snack made of a stick of white cheese, wrapped in a dough and then deep-fried until golden. These are often served as snacks at parties and sometimes are served with a sauce or salsa. Honestly who doesn’t like a fried cheese breadstick?
Pabellón criollo
This is Venezuela’s national dish made up of 4 main components: fried plantains, stewed black beans, rice and shredded beef known as carne mechada. This dish is set to represent different elements of the people of Venezuela. Indigenous people are represented by plantains, beans represent Africa and the beef represents Spain. The name itself actually means Creole pavilion to represent the mix of culture.
This is a hearty meal and we recommend having a nap if you can afterward. The beef in this dish I particularly good as it is slow cooked for a long time with tomatoes, onion and spices.
Cachapas
Cachapas are traditional sweet savory made from ground fresh corn and often mixed with sugar and milk. Sometimes, they are served with a sweet cheese or just with butter. These are popular as a street food snack and are eaten at any time of the day.
Empanadas
Every corner of the globe has a version of a pocket of dough with a filling which is then baked or fried. South Asia has samosas, Central Asia has manti, East Asia has numerous different dumplings and Latin America has the empanada. Empanadas in Venezuela are typically made out of corn meal while other places will make them with a flour dough. They are then filled with all kinds of things such as shredded meat, cheese or sometimes even seafood. Often this will be served with a tangy sauce on the side called Guasacaca.
Our personal favourite empanadas though are the cheese shrimp empanadas you can find in Chile. Venezuelan empanadas however, absolutely slap!
Guasacaca
Guasacaca is Venezuela’s answer to guacamole, but is different in that it is more of a thick sauce and has more of a vibrant herby flavour with more fresh herbs like cilantro and vinegar to give it more of a tang. This is a must try when youn visit Venezuela and you might even like it better than guacamole!
Golfeados
This is Venezuela’s answer to the cinnamon roll. They are dough rolled with cheese, cinnamon and other spices and halfway through the baking process they are coated in a syrup that gives them a crispy outer layer. If you have a sweet tooth, then this is what you should be aiming for.
Pan de Jamón
Meaning ‘ham bread’ this is a baked bread filled with ham slices, typically eaten around Christmas time. The bread has a slight sweet taste and is typically served along side salads and soups.
How can I get to Venezuela to try these foods?
We will be heading to Venezuela at the end of 2026. Check out our website here to see our departure dates.
To find out more information about how to travel to Venezuela and other practical information, check out our
comprehensive Venezuela destination
guides here.
