Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year; a time to forget about diets and to spend time with your loved ones. Navidad in Venezuela is by far the most awaited and important time of the year. El espíritu navideño can be felt all the way since mid-November, when shops and bakeries start to decorate and put up their arbolitos (little tree).

Unlike the United States and other countries, in Venezuela San Nicolás isn’t the generous present giver. Instead, every child excitedly waits for their presents to be brought by el Niño Jesús, who arrives after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve to bring presents for well-behaved children. Santa Claus is also an honoured guest in every Venezuelan home, as he is the representation of the Christmas spirit. He is like el Niño Jesús’s sidekick when delivering presents. I still remember how exciting it was to wake up and find my presents near the pesebre (creche/nativity scene). Due to the strong Catholic tradition in Venezuela, every home has its replica of the manger where Jesus was born.

My favourite part of Christmas is the food. I wait all year round to eat the traditional Christmas meal of hallacas, pernil and pan de jamón. La hallaca is a sort of tamale made out of yellow corn dough, filled with a beef, chicken and pork stew embellished with raisins, olives, and capers, which is then is wrapped in banana leaves, tied with string and boiled. El pan de jamón (ham bread) is a brioche bread filled with smoked ham, raisins and green olives, and el pernil is a baked and glazed pork leg. La ensalada de gallina is a creamy chicken salad with potatoes, carrots, peas, and mayonnaise.

Nochebuena, after eating our plato navideño, families sit together and open the presents from their amigo secreto (secret friend). Some days or even weeks before Christmas Eve, each family member writes their name on small pieces of paper that are then folded and put on a jar from which everyone take turns to pick one and find out who you will be the secret friend of. On Christmas Eve, you put your present underneath the Christmas tree and wait to find out who is your secret friend.

Venezuelans cheer Christmas time up by the rhythm of gaitas, a folk music genre which has roots in Zulia state in the western part of the country. It features distinctive instruments like the furruco, charrasca, tamboras, the beloved cuatro, with lyrics that range from serious social themes to funny, popular jokes.

—–

Chupe

The Venezuelan take on chicken soup, usually with potatoes, corns and fresh cheese or crema.

Hallaca

Traditional Venezuelan corn tamales stuffed with 3 meats — beef, pork and chicken — with olives, raisins and peppers, wrapped in banana leaves.

Ensalada de Gallina

Venezuelan chicken salad with potatoes, carrots, green peas and cilantro

Pan de Jamon

A classic Venezuelan Christmas treat: tender brioche bread rolled around a mix of ham, bacon, olives and raisins

Pernil

Venezuelan style roasted pork leg

Torta Tres Leches

Venezuelan-style sponge cake incorporating 3 kinds of milk, with a whipped cream topping and cinnamon garnish.

—–

$79 +HST

—–

Luis Manuel Cordoba is a Venezuelan Chef from Maturin City who opened his first restaurant in 2001 in Mérida, a culinary hub in Venezuela. Later, he joined forces with his brother, also a chef, to establish a corporate catering company before moving to Toronto with his family in 2010. He quickly found himself working as the chef of Arepa Café, Toronto’s premier purveyor of authentic Venezuelan arepas. In 2015, they launched The Arepa Republic, an award-winning food truck that serves delicious Venezuelan dishes at events across the GTA. @theareparepublic

—–

The Depanneur is a place where Interesting Food Things Happen. For more than a decade The Dep has been showcasing Toronto’s remarkable culinary diversity through thousands of unique food events as well as the forthcoming Depanneur Cookbook, featuring 100 recipes from 100 cooks. After more than 10 years at its iconic College Street location, The Dep is now bringing all new Interesting Food Things to exciting venues all across the GTA.

@thedepanneur