A Venezuelan Christmas Staple
To the right are hallacas, the Venezuelan Christmas specialty that often shows up at our table on Nochebuena. They're made of a corn-and-meat filling (you might also find raisins, nuts, olives and hard-boiled eggs) wrapped tightly in a banana leaf. Our mom is a huge fan. See, her aunt and uncle moved to Caracas after Castro's takeover of Cuba, and their housekeeper, who left with them to Venezuela, learned how to make hallacas better than anyone else. Or so says our mother, who has since searched far and wide for hallacas that could meet that standard. (Unsuccessful so far.)
Hallacas are incredibly labor intensive, so it's rare to find someone who goes the homemade route. Our mom usually orders from a friend of a friend who spends the weeks before Christmas carefully making hallacas. At this time of year, almost every Venezuelan bakery will have some. We went ahead and did some of the legwork for you:
• Don Pan Every branch of this bakery will have hallacas for $5.99 each. They've got plenty now, but there's no guarantee there will be any left on the 24th. If you need a big order, it's best to call ahead and reserve some.
• La Crema de las Empanadas (10674 SW 24th St in Miami; 305-485-9360) The hallacas are $6 each here, and the same rule applies -- if you've got a big order, reserve some.
• European Corner They're $8 each here. The bakery is open until 8 p.m. on Dec. 23 and until 3 p.m. on Dec. 24.
• Moises Bakery (7310 Collins Ave in Miami Beach; 305-868-0548) Hallacas are $6, and you should really order them now, we're told. They've got a limited supply. If you order now, you can pick up on Christmas Eve.
Photo: Flickr
