Venezuelan Cuisine in Canarias

Whenever I come to Canarias, first thing I pick up from the shelf in the supermarket is fresh white cheese. It resembles somewhat like our paneer in India but the flavor is soft with sour touch. It is firm, fresh and slightly salty. This type of white cheese is cured for only 7-35 days.

Canary Islands are proud to be best cheese award winner. 

Its’ success is mainly due to its climatic conditions as well as 3 different breeds of goat. All cheeses are homemade or based on antique cheese making traditions. They vary from very fresh and soft cheese to cured and strong flavored cheese.

I normally eat it in a sandwich with salad leaves and tomatoes, 

or stuff it in cachapas, (a Venezuelan corn pancake) with avocado and chili sauce. The cachapas have the sweetish taste and it marries the soft sour taste of cheese.

Cachapas is the favorite meal for Canarias who enjoy Venezuela cuisine. You get the corn flour in packets, there are many different brands, but I find this brand quite tasty. (This corn flour is not same like the one we use in chinese cooking for thickening the sauce). This flour is different, it contains precooked corn leaves, sugar, wheat flour, precooked corn flour, milk serum, salt and sweet corn aroma. When the pancakes are roasted on girdle, they emit the sweet aroma of corn.

The pancakes are made from this flour by adding ¾ cup of water to 1cup of this flour. Some people add egg too to add that extra flavor.

For vegetarians just white cheese is good enough. But for non-veg person, these cachapas can be stuffed with any number of savory toppings like shredded meat/fish/vegetables or any other fillings. Adding avocado dip makes it more interesting and of course, some chili sauce too.

Some even eat it with fresh mangoes right off from the tree.