If we talk about Venezuelan culinarian aspects, we have to say that their food is really a mix of cultures, from Italians and Portuguese cultures that escaped the war and arrived in Venezuela to indigenous culture born and raised here. Venezuelan food contains a combination of a lot of factors involving ingredients, ways of cooking, and even things to eat, from the most exquisite dish served in a restaurant, from eaten raw insects! We are now going to see some of the weirdest food that regular people in Venezuela eat.
Gusano de Moriche
Gusano de Moriche is a very particular ‘dish’ to eat, mainly because It’s made out of worms! These worms grow in a tree, which you have to extract the leaves and put little holes in them and wait two months for the worms to grow. After that, you can cook them or even eat them straight from the leaves! The only thing that you have to do is take off the worm’s head before eating them, and that’s it. This is usually eaten by indigenous culture and people even say that can be used in a very effective medicinal way. Yummy, huh?
Bachaco Culon
Bachacos are a particular insect really common all around Venezuela. They are like big ants with a really big booty, that’s why they’re called ‘’Culon’’. These Bachacos are fried for like 10 minutes and are mixed with cassava bread to add a little sweet flavor. People even say that eaten Bachacos Culones is very good to gain extra protein. Who would’ve thought eaten ants would be good for your fitness!
Pisillo de Chigüire
It’s very common in Venezuela to eat chigüire or capybara, to substitute eating cow meat or chicken. After hunted, you have to make sure that the chigüire is dry and ready to be mixed with onions, paprika, peppers and coriander. After all already fried, serve with some fried plantains and white rice and voila, you’re eating capybara now! It may taste really good, but It’s an endangered species, so please avoid hunt them.
Caribe or Piraña
Caribe or Piraña (piranha) is a very common dish to eat in Venezuela. It is prepared with onions, tomato, parsley and garlic. People eat it in a ‘risotto’ format and it’s usually served at lunch. Piraña is most eaten in Margarita and in the nearest islands. This is a very aggressive animal to fish, so be careful if you’re looking forward to hunt these sea beasts.
Iguana
Iguanas are one of the most common animals in Venezuela. They´re lizards that can be found literally everywhere. The Iguana is a very common dish in the Paraguaná region. It is mainly eaten in April, because it’s the hunting season for these lizards. People eat Iguana to substitute chicken and to cook it It’s previously peeled and parboiled, adding salt, garlic, peppers, onions and oils. It looks like shredded meat, but it takes like chicken. If you don’t know you’re eating iguana, you may think you’re eating chicken.
