Venezuelan food is increasingly present in different corners of the world. High migration numbers have made it easy to find arepas, tequeños or cachapas (or the ingredients to make them) in almost any city.
But there are some unique flavors that can’t be replicated, those you can only have at home.
I think that, by missing these flavors, you miss a moment in your life. It’s partly related to migration, but not entirely. I mean, you can live in the city where you grew up and miss the special cake your grandmother made (that you can’t reproduce as an adult), you can miss the candy that was discontinued by a factory, or you can miss the way your mom’s soup made you feel when you were sick.
In any case, we don’t all have the same palate. The family you grew up in allowed you to develop an affinity for certain tastes that will live with you forever.
Our cultural palate is important, we can taste food from all over the world and enjoy it, but at some point, we will miss something. Food takes us to special places that are sometimes hard to replicate.
The relationship with cheese
Llanero white cheese (queso blanco llanero) is part of my cultural palate. Almost all my meals were topped with this local cheese. I knew I would miss it, but I didn’t know that migration would change my relationship with the product. Now I prefer to skip cheese most of the time.
Although I’ve eaten different types of national and international cheeses since I was a child, llanero cheese was never missing in the fridge. My dad liked to try varieties of cheeses, olives, pates, etc., so I have no problem with new flavors. But not all products are a good fit for every occasion.
I knew I would miss it, but I didn’t know that migration would change my relationship with the product
I recently bought a cheese similar to llanero in my new home, but it’s not the same. Venezuelan cheeses are made with artisanal methods, difficult to replicate in countries with restrictive sanitary measures for the preparation of this type of food.
As a result, the new cheese, although delicious, works in some dishes, but in others it is tasteless.
For example, the preparation of empanadas needs the salt and creaminess of the llanero cheese when cooked. Otherwise, you will taste the difference after the first bite. There are other foods such as cachapas it can work better with, however, just because you can substitute it with another type of cheese does not mean it is the best option.
Any Venezuelan will miss a cachapa with queso de mano or queso telita.
It’s not just a soup
On January 1st when my brother visited me at home he said: “I’m missing the hervido” (a type of soup made on firewood in the backyards of Venezuelan houses). But hervido is not just any soup, it has vegetables, meat, chicken and seasonings, yet it has a particular flavor.
Although ideally it would not be made in a conventional kitchen, if you live in an apartment or small house without a patio, you can be forgiven for adapting the cooking method, although the flavor will not be quite right.
It is said that hervido serves to wake the souls after a night of partying, which makes it a classic for special days like the first day of the year. So, I understand my brother, but I’m more of a leftover food person on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 (especially when hallacas are involved).
I do miss a good hervido, though, especially on those winter days when you need something hot and heart-warming.
Fruits from the tree
I grew up with a mango tree in the backyard of my maternal grandmother’s house. It is still there and from May onwards, it overflows with fruits that feed family and friends (and anyone who walks in front of the house).
In Venezuela, eating mangoes is as easy as picking them off the bush. I never had to shop at the supermarket. This allowed me to eat the fruit fresh without any refrigeration – ideal for extra juiciness and flavor.
The ease of getting mangoes added opportunities for preparations like jellies. And that’s what my grandmother is the expert at. Although her mind is no longer as lucid as in the past, she is still active (under supervision) because, for her, all those flavors she grew up with and passed on to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are just as important.
Room for new flavors
I’m not a picky eater, I don’t usually complain about what I eat and I’m open to trying new flavors (to a degree).
However, I also understand that my mind and palate want to return at times to those flavors that make me close my eyes and smile.
We all have some. What are yours?
Images: Muago, Drift Shutterbug, Royjsi, Fir0002
