Arepa and the Taino

Did You Know: An arepa is a flat corn bread patty developed by Indigenous Peoples in Northern South America, but its use has spread throughout the Caribbean region for generations. An arepa can be made fresh or with dried corn, which is ground into flour and made into dough that can be cooked in different ways. If dried corn kernels are used, however, they are boiled and soaked in water over night to breakdown the “hull” of the corn. Some Indigenous Peoples' communities also add ground limestone or ashes to breakdown the hull. The term arepa is incorporated in the Taíno language today, but it is actually a “loan word” with its linguistic origin coming from the language of the Karina or “true” Carib peoples of mainland South America. – UCTP Taino News © 2013

MAISI

Did You Know – The Taino word for corn is maisi or mais (maiz), which is the origin of the word “maize”. While not as important as yuka (manioc/cassava), it was a significant food source found throughout the Caribbean islands in several varieties. Traditionally, corn was eaten, roasted, off the cob as well as ground into meal. According to Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, it seems that cornbread was not as favored as it molded faster than bread made from yuka. Some chroniclers stated that Taino drank a fermented corn beverage called chicha as well as a fermented yuka beverage called uiku.  A traditional Taino form of boiled corn dumpling called guanime is still made today in various forms. – UCTP Taino News © 2012