Celebration of Afro-Venezuelan Day

Mairin Moreno Mérida, Ambassador of Venezuela to South Africa (l) with Lupita Montes de Oca, Founder of Miss Latina South Africa (r)

20 May 2021

With a gastronomic exchange and in order to exalt our culinary roots, the Embassy of Venezuela in South Africa celebrated the day of Afro-Venezuelanity. From Venezuela, we wanted to share the heritage of our Mother Africa and the closeness and similarity of our meals, having as the main ingredient, corn.

Accompanying us in the preparation of typical Venezuelan dishes were: Lupita Montes de Oca, Founding Organizer of Miss Latina South Africa, Busi Roberts Founder and Editor of The Apple of His Eyes Magazine, Chef Suzanne Croizer Director of the Steyns Cooking School in Pretoria, Benjamin Lawrence II Cllr of Eersterust Watloo and Lungile Masemola Miss Latina South Africa 2018.

The Ambassadors of Tunisia, Gabon, Cameroon and Palestine shared this initiative with us, tasting our arepas, empanadas, sweet arepas, cachapas, llanero cheese, Creole pavilion (pabellon criollo), corn drink (carato) and corn delicacy (majarete).

Here are some comments from the participants:

Bemjamin Lawrence II

My experience at the Venezuelan residence was indeed an exhilarating and revealing experience that brought us to realise how  much we have in common with a country that is so far from us and how they make extravagant dishes with basic main food as we do in South Africa was also very refreshing. We are one world indeed.

Chef Suzanne Crozier

I loved the hands-on cooking with Ambassador Mairin. She used products that I know and made new exciting dishes. I will definitely make it at my school and home.

Embassy of Venezuela in South Africa