Mastering the arepa takes practice and time. For some, it comes as a natural intuition. For others, it is learned. Here are some tips to keep you making the perfect arepa.

What should my dough feel like? – Arepa dough should be sticky, not overly wet, but not to the point where it starts to crack. It should be dense and molded into shapes easily.

When I form my arepa it cracks around the edges, what should I do? – Arepa dough should be sticky, but not overly wet. If it starts to crack there is an emergency fix that can take place. Take some warm milk or water in a bowl and dip your fingers in it, then rub the edges to seal up the cracks. It works great.

How do I know when my arepa is done cooking? – When you start to see cheese oozing out, you are very close! Make sure the top and the bottom of the arepa is nice and crispy and you are good to go.

How do I keep my arepas warm while the others are still cooking? – Line a place with tin foil. And take another piece and cover the top. Place the arepas inside and seal it shut. The steam from the freshly cooked arepas will be trapped inside keeping the others nice and hot.

How big should I make my arepas? – Typically, arepa size should be determined if they will be filled with other ingredients. If the arepa is to be eaten with no filling, it should be a smaller size, if it is to be filled with meat, beans, plantains, or something else, it should be a bit larger to accommodate the filling. With your big ball of arepa dough, break off a piece the size of a meatball, thats a small arepa. Anything bigger than that, 1.5-2x larger would be great for an arepa “rellena”, or “filled” arepa.

How much cornmeal should I use? – This depends on the size you make them and if you are going to fill them or not. If you are going to just fill with cheese, 2 cups will make about 15 arepas.

To learn how to master the arepa – click here.