Venezuelan people enjoy celebrations and having parties for every special date: birthdays, weddings, baptisms, engagements, baby showers, etc. Any of these gatherings, no matter how small, are considered a party, with all that implies: music, decorations, recreation, clothing and of course food.
The catering offered at parties depends a lot on the occasion, the theme and the number of guests. For example, a large wedding usually includes cheese tables, fruit tables and candy tables. Smaller celebrations include easier-to-make meals that can be prepared at home.
The foods offered at these celebrations are so characteristic that they are easily associated with joyful days and reunions with family and friends. Today we will tell you about 10 snacks offered at Venezuelan parties that are very easy to prepare and are commonly known as “pasapalos“. But first:
What is a pasapalo?
It is a light snack served as an accompaniment to a drink. This term is used in Venezuela to designate an appetizer, an “hors d’oeuvre” or a small portion of food. In other Latin American countries it is known as picadita (Argentina), picoteo (Chile), botana (Mexico) and pasabocas (Colombia).
What are the most popular pasapalos in Venezuela?
1. – Tequeños
There is no party without Tequeños, you can miss any pasapalo except this one. It is a fried or baked wheat flour dough filled with white cheese, or other fillings such as ricotta cheese with spinach, chocolate or guava. They can be eaten alone or “dipped” in pink sauce, tartar sauce, sweet chili, or honey and mustard. The tequeyoyo is a variant of the tequeño from the Zulian region whose filling is ripe plantain and cheese.
The origin of the tequeño seems to come from the Middle East, however, it is currently present in several countries and regions, and it is also called cheese finger, cheese stick or cheese roll.
To prepare them you need 250 g of wheat flour, 1 egg, 80 g of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, Water (60 ml approximately), 300 g of “queso llanero” or other hard white cheese and Oil for frying.
The preparation is as follows: Place the flour in a bowl and in the center place the salt, sugar, butter and egg. Mix everything and add water until you get an elastic and smooth dough. Let it rest covered for approximately 45 minutes. Then sprinkle with flour the worktop where you will make the tequeños, extend the dough with the help of a rolling pin until it is very thin and then cut uniform strips. With these strips line the cheese sticks and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Once golden brown, let them dry on absorbent paper towels and they are ready to eat.
2. – Serpentinas
Bread serpentinas are an appetizer also known as enrollados, consisting of a stuffed and wrapped bread, which resembles paper streamers. The classic ones are made with ham and cheese and are served cold.
3. – Empanadas and Pastelitos
These are the typical pastries and empanadas eaten for breakfast, but smaller in size. They can be prepared baked or fried and the fillings can be of all kinds: cheese, ham, meat or chicken.
4. – Quail eggs with pink sauce:
These are boiled and peeled quail eggs, served cold with pink sauce, made with mayonnaise and ketchup. The quail eggs, the pink sauce and the chopsticks are served in the same dish for the guests to help themselves to this appetizer. A variation of this appetizer is the cocktail sausages with pink sauce, which are boiled or steamed sausages, served cold to spread with pink sauce.
5. – Mini Pizzas:
These are individual pizzas or pizza squares, usually neapolitan, margherita, double cheese or ham. They can be homemade or purchased at a pizzeria and cut into squares.
6. – Diablitos Sandwich:
It is a delicious appetizer that fascinates children. To prepare it, all you need is sliced bread, butter and Diablitos Underwood. The preparation is as simple as removing the crust from the square breads, spreading a spoonful of butter and Diablito on each slice of square bread, and chopping the sandwiches in half to achieve a triangular shape.
7.- Bolitas de carne molida and chupeticas de pollo:
Some pasapalos are very nutritious and delicious, as they are a “small” version or a “bite” of a complete lunch, as would be the Bolitas de Carne and the Chupeticas de pollo (piece of chicken next to the wing), two sources of quality protein that are also consumed at parties.
8. – Ojo de buey:
It is a very popular pasapalo in Venezuela that only has two ingredients: prunes and bacon. It is very easy to prepare, simply cut the bacon strips in half, roll each prune in the bacon and secure with a wooden toothpick and then cook in the oven until the bacon is golden brown. It is the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
9. – Chupetas:
In Venezuela it is very common to hand out packaged candies during the party or as a cotillion once it is over. Bon Bon Bum brand lollipops, spiral colored lollipops or straws filled with candies are handed out, and all of these are also used as decoration around the table where the cake is. Something that happens frequently in children’s parties is that the children “dip” the lollipop in the soda, an explosion of sweetness and flavor.
10. – Flavored Snacks:
In these celebrations, packaged foods that are easily available in any supermarket are also consumed. For example, Platanitos, Pepitos, Papas, Cheetos and Doritos are served in dishes to share during the party, it is an economical option that does not require great effort.
What did you think of these delicious snacks that are consumed at Venezuelan parties? They are varied, delicious and most of them are inexpensive, that’s why they are available even in the smallest celebrations and are enjoyed in quantity. A Venezuelan party is full of food for the body and for the spirit, because the snacks, the music and the good energy are never lacking.