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