arepa

American  

[uh-rey-puh, ah-re-pah] / əˈreɪ pə, ɑˈrɛ pɑ /

noun

1. a Colombian or Venezuelan cornmeal cake, sometimes stuffed with savory fillings.

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Etymology

Origin of arepa

First recorded in 1920–25; from Carib arepa, erepa “corn, cornmeal, cornmeal cake”

Explanation

An arepa is a South American flatbread made of finely-ground cornmeal. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, arepas are often filled with cheese, meat, avocado, or beans. An arepa looks a little like an English muffin — it's a corn cake that's commonly eaten with meals or as a snack in Columbia and Venezuela. Arepas can also be split in half and made into a savory sandwich, or deep fried with egg or other fillings inside. The word arepa is borrowed from the Cumanagoto erepa, "corn" or "cornbread."

Example Sentences

In Florida, 90 minutes south of Mar-a-Lago, a jubilant crowd gathered outside an arepa restaurant, honking horns, cheering and waving Venezuelan and American flags.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026

Is there a recipe in the book that you think is ideal for an arepa novice?

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2023

My desire for the arepa fillings depends on the day and the time I am eating them.

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2023

Eduardo Egui, author of the arepa recipes, says that the most outlandish one he created is the "Fried Black Pudding Arepa with Reina Pepiada and sweet red pepper purée".

From Salon • Jul. 22, 2023

A moment later he returned with the priest’s breakfast––two fried eggs, a hot corn arepa, fried platanos, dried fish, and coffee sweetened with panela.

From Carmen Ariza by Stocking, Charles Francis