Griddled corn cakes with a crackly crust and a soft centre, split open and stuffed with melting cheese.
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AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish
Only precooked cornmeal will do: ordinary polenta or corn flour hydrates differently and the dough will fall apart. In Colombia arepas are eaten at any hour, from breakfast to a late supper.
An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.
The dough already is; only the cheese filling and the butter are not. A melting plant-based cheese works, but the most common non-cheese fillings are mashed avocado or black beans, tucked into the split after cooking. Use a drizzle of olive oil in place of the butter.
Precooked corn flour keeps absorbing water after kneading. Without the rest the dough seems fine, then dries out and cracks as you shape it. If it still feels stiff after resting, wet your hands and knead again rather than pouring in more water at once.
You can shape the discs several hours ahead and keep them chilled, separated and covered so they do not dry out. Once cooked, arepas firm up as they cool: reheat them for a few minutes in a dry pan, never in a microwave, which turns them rubbery.
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