Comparing Hallacas across three restaurants — an honest verdict

I ate Hallacas at three different restaurants in the same week to compare. The results were illuminating. The use of black beans caraotas varied significantly — only one got it right. The sweet-savoury from cornmeal base profile should be consistent but interpretation differs widely.

the arepa is Venezuela's daily bread — eaten at all meals in countless configurations. The best version came from a Colombian-Venezuelan border town restaurant, which felt authentic. Malta dark malt drink was offered at all three but only one knew how to serve it properly. The gap between mediocre and excellent Hallacas is larger than you'd think.