Have you ever wondered which country can truly claim the arepa as its own — Colombia or Venezuela? It’s a heated culinary debate that has spilled over from real life to social media. Take the social media platform Reddit, for example. In the subReddit askLatinAmerica, the question sparked a heated, and funny, online food fight. Reddit users from Argentina to Peru claimed the arepa as their own. These are the modern day Arepa Wars, with Colombia vs. Venezuela at the forefront of the culinary battlefields. But who really invented them? It’s time to bite into this food fight, and settle things once and for all … for research purposes, of course.
The Arepa Wars: Colombia vs. Venezuela?
It all began when the Latin American subReddit asked: “Arepas origin are from colombia or venezuela?” Instead of a definite answer, Colombia or Venezuela, the online food feud began.
“You just unleashed chaos and violence in the peaceful reddit lands, monster, a reddit user said, adding: “Also, they are Colombian.”
Then Reddit user @Specific-Benefit chimed in: “Be careful, some argentinean might claim the arepa’s invention as argentinian too.”
It got worse. Salt_Winter5888 said: “I officially proclaim that arepas are originating from Arequipa, Perú. That is the reason for its name. You’re welcome! You can give me my Nobel Peace Prize later, thank you.”
Another Reddit user almost put an end to the debate with their comment: “Both. Before either country, part of our ancestors were indigenous that lived on both sides and made arepas.” Unfortunately, they added: “But, Venezuelans are better.”
So, which one is it? Are arepas Colombian or Venezuelan?
A Debate as Old as the Arepa Itself
If you ask a Colombian, the answer is clear: the arepa is a symbol of national pride, woven into the country’s geography and history. But if you bring up the topic with a Venezuelan, you’ll likely hear a different story. The age-old debate over whether the arepa originated in Colombia or Venezuela has cemented a friendly rivalry between these neighboring nations. And, as Reddit users clearly demonstrated to us, it’s not just a two-country argument.
RELATED POST: Colombia’s Arepas: the Snack That Sums up Natinal Culture and Pride
The humble arepa is a source of national pride for Colombia and Venezuela. While the two countries share the arepa’s origins, today there’s a distinct culinary split.
“Colombia and Venezuela may have a lot in common culturally, but there is no better debate between both countries than the ownership and taste of their famous corn cakes known as the ‘Arepas,’” ABC 7 News explains.
Colombian or Venezuelan: What’s the Difference?
So who did them first? Actually, arepas have been around longer than Colombia and Venezuela have been countries and before the Spanish invaded the territory and then started to settle in the 16th century. Indigenous groups spanned a huge area that didn’t have defined borders but is defined as Colombia and Venezuela. At the time, corn was a key part of their diets and included arepas.
Women would chew the corn and it was also crushed with stones to make it more malleable to turn into flour and cook the dough on clay slabs. Although it has been deeply ingrained in the territory’s gastronomy since ancient times, pre-cooked flour revolutionized arepas in the 1950s. The flour quickly became a household item in both Colombia, and in Venezuela and these days families can now easily make arepas at home.
Today, most people would say that, while Colombian arepas have more variety in the actual dough, Venezuelan arepas distinguish themselves with their fillings. Then again, debates between Colombians and Venezuelans on TikTok says there are more differences than those. And, as the Reddit users explained, arepas are sources of national pride in kitchens beyond these two countries.
So, what’s your take? What country do you think the arepa belongs to?
