Where to eat the best cachapas in Caracas?

You can’t come to Venezuela without trying this giant pancake created from fresh ground corn. Here are the best places to eat a cachapa in Caracas.

The gastronomy of a country is one of those key points that tell us about its culture and its people. What would be the point of coming to Venezuela without trying a good arepa, a pabellón criollo or a cachapa? In this article we will focus on the last of these dishes: the cachapa.

To begin, let’s define what cachapa is. It is a pancake made from ground corn, usually accompanied with butter and a type of fresh Venezuelan cheese, known as telita cheese. Some also add fried pork and avocado.

Its characteristic flavor has been so successful that it has managed to cross borders and captivate anyone who dares to try it. In fact, in 2023 a Venezuelan conquered the MasterChef Australia jury with a dish of cachapas and reached the Top 10 of the competition.

Cachapas have their origin in the time of the indigenous people who occupied the central region of Venezuela, specifically in the state of Miranda, near Caracas, the capital of the country. They made the most of corn to prepare different foods and drinks, including cachapas.

In addition to ground corn, milk, salt and sugar or papelón (a type of natural sweetener based on sugar cane) is used to prepare the mixture. The final consistency of the mixture should be thick. Next, it is spread in a circular shape on a hot metal sheet and cooked on both sides. For more flavor, some place a banana leaf on the surface, then spread the dough and proceed to cook.

Another variation is “Cachapa en Hoja”, also known as “Corn Buns”. Its recipe is the same, but it is wrapped in corn husks and cooked in boiling water.

Although telita cheese is the favorite accompaniment to this dish, it is also served with ham, shredded beef, pernil, chorizo and a variety of Venezuelan cheeses, such as yellow and Guayanés.

Here at Visit Venezuela we leave you a small Cachapa Route, in case you are in Caracas and want to venture out to try this dish that fills Venezuelans with pride:

You could start in the city center, specifically in the La Candelaria parish. There, a few meters Plaza La Candelaria Square, between the corners of La Cruz and Miguelacho, is “Cachapas Doña Agapita”, a place with almost thirty years of experience that enjoys an excellent reputation among Caracas residents. It is so popular that it now has two restaurants in the same street.

If you are in the east of Caracas, we suggest you visit “El solar del este” in Las Mercedes, or “Nuevo horizonte” in La Castellana. The cachapas sold in both restaurants are huge and delicious. And on the southwest side of the city, specifically in El Paraíso, is the famous place “Cachaperros”, quite popular with locals.

Next, you could also go to the mountains, specifically to El Junquito, a town located halfway between Caracas and Colonia Tovar (another tourist place that we will talk about in another article), a very busy place on weekends, where you can find cachapas with hand cheese, pork rinds or fried pork. Take advantage of the visit and go horseback riding, walk through the local parks and enjoy the fog that descends almost every afternoon.

Another option is to take the Pan-American Highway and go up to San Antonio de Los Altos, a city located in Los Altos Mirandinos, just twenty minutes from Caracas. When you arrive in this town, ask for “El conuco” and delight yourself with the dishes offered by this restaurant specialized in cachapas, or go to the La Rosaleda Sur market or “Criollo Arepas”. Very good versions of this dish are tried in both places.

These are just some of the many options that Caracas and its surroundings offer you so that you can delight your palate with cachapas and fall in love with Venezuelan gastronomy. And this is not all: Soon we will dedicate an article to arepas, the Venezuelan dish par excellence!

Eudomar Chacón

Eudomar is a Venezuelan writer, actor, singer and coach with a passion for travel, theater and music.

Visit Venezuela

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