A FOOD TRADITION

Llanero Cuisine

Llanero cuisine comes from the broad Venezuelan plains and is closely associated with cattle-ranching, horse culture, seasonal rivers, and open-fire cooking. Beef, freshwater fish, cassava, corn, plantains, rice, and beans form its practical foundation. Meat is commonly roasted over wood, grilled on skewers, or cooked slowly into stews and shredded preparations; cassava may be boiled or made into casabe. Recognizable examples include carne en vara, beef roasted on long stakes; pisillo de chigüire, shredded capybara traditionally prepared in the plains; and palo a pique, a rice-and-beans preparation often combined with meat. Llanero foodways also extend into Colombia and should not be treated as exclusively Venezuelan.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.