GASTRONOMY OF THE BOLIVAR STATE: 11 TYPICAL FOODS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The gastronomy in the Bolivar State is very important and varied due to the conversion of the different indigenous cultures of Venezuela. Among the typical foods of Bolívar State, the sapora, the morrocoy cake or the Orinoco beans stand out.

The State of Bolívar of Venezuela has as its capital Ciudad Bolívar and is one of the 23 states of the country. This is located in the southeast of Venezuela in the Guyana region.

The most important dishes in this area have to do with fish, among which the morocoto, the sapoara, and the cachama stand out, but there are also the palo a pique, which is prepared with beans that are seasoned with pork, some species and papelón.

It is a dish that can be served with tomatoes, but this varies according to the area where it is prepared. It can also be accompanied with a green mole. This dish is undoubtedly a typical trend in the life of the Venezuelan llanero.

Also, in the State of Bolívar you can find the cruzao, as well as the dishes that are prepared based on morrocoy meat, highlighting in an important way the morrocoy carpaccio and the casabe, the latter being one of the main accompaniments of different dishes of the region.

You may also be interested in seeing the 10 tastiest typical dishes of Caldas, to learn more about Latin American gastronomy.

Typical food of the Bolivar State

1- The toad

Sancocho de sapoara via Inatur on Twitter.

It is a type of fish that lives in the Caroní River and the Orinoco River. It is a fish rich in nutrients and very popular for its rich flavor. Its most typical preparation is made in sancocho, although it is also common to see it in preparation as a filling, roasted and fried (golden).

When it is done in this last way, salt and garlic are taken as one of the main ingredients. If it is done in a baked way, then it will be opened at the back and different marinades such as onion or paprika will be added. In both cases, these are preparations that can be accompanied by rice, salads or potatoes.

This fish also has its party. It is the Sapoara Fair, held in Bolívar and Soledad during the month of August of each year.

Likewise, the preparation in sancocho is one of the favorites by the people of the region. This is made like a soup to which vegetables are added.

2- Morrocoy cake

Another dish that is part of the typical gastronomy of the State of Bolívar in Venezuela is the morrocoy cake, this is prepared with morrocoy meat.

Eggs, potatoes, dressings, wine and spice are added. Once prepared in this way, it is baked in the shell of the animal.

3- Orinoco beans

Source: Badagnani CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Orinoco beans, which are planted on the coast of this region, are also very traditional.

4- Chicken peeling

Image recovered from The Stimulus

It is also known as Guayanés pelao and it is typical of the Guayanese region. It is a dish from the island of Trinidad, there it is considered a national dish.

It is prepared based on rice, stew and chicken, to finally obtain a delicious soup. It is a typical dish that has spread throughout Latin America.

5- Angostureña Hallaca

It is a very important expression of the culture of corn and more precisely of the tamale, although it is wrapped in corn husk, while the Halca, regardless of the region of Venezuela where it is prepared, its packaging will always be banana.

It is undoubtedly an emblematic dish of Venezuelan gastronomy, which is prepared, for the most part, during the Christmas season. If its ingredients are studied carefully, it is possible to notice that different social expressions and different ethnic groups converge in it.

Its base is corn, which is considered an ancestral product of America. This Halca, also known as Dry Halca, preserves the ingredients of the traditional Halca. However, it is prepared with a much drier dough in order to keep it on long trips to transport it.

6- Guiana cheese

Image recovered from Economy Class Venezuela.

Its main characteristic is smoothness. It is estimated that its best time for consumption is when it is very fresh. It is a cheese so soft and delicate that it can even be used as a spread.

It is recommended that it be consumed in the shortest possible time, which may already lose its softness as it makes contact with the ambient climate. Other cheeses are telita and queso de mano.

7- Milky sweet

Source: Gastronomia del Municipio Guanta CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

It is a preparation that is very common at Christmas. However, it is also prepared as a dessert or as an once. Most sweets are made with merey.

8- Guava glass

This preparation is made with guava juice, sugar and a little lemon. It is a recipe that requires a great investment of time and patience to achieve the expected result.

9- Casabe

Source: Luisovalles CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Casabe is a cake that is prepared from bitter cassava, since cassava is processed so that the hydrocyanic acid is extracted to transform it into flour.

It is one of the most consumed and healthy preparations by inhabitants of Latin America. However, it is a food that was not consumed by colonizers, as they saw it as something without flavor.

It is a food that is more than 3,000 years old, a food that is originally from the aborigines of Venezuela.

10- Typical drinks

Source: Ralf Roletschek CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)

Among the typical drinks of this region are the spicy ones, among which the yinyabié stands out, a drink that is prepared based on ginger, beer, lemon and cloves. We also find the monky pi, a typical drink made from papelón, aubergine, rum, lemon, sugar and white.

11- Sauces

Source: Veganbaking CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

Likewise, catara sauce is very typical of this area. It is a spicy sauce from this region that is prepared with yucca juice, some spices and culón bachaco.

In the Region it is considered to be a sauce with a high aphrodisiac content. We also find the brecha sweet, which is present in the farms.

References

1. Bolivar State, exotic land. Gastronomy, sweets, food and drinks. (2009). Venezuela Recovered from estadobolivartierraexotica.blogspot.com.
2. Typical dishes of the State of Bolívar. Venezuela (2013). Recovered from es.scribd.com.
3. Typical food of Venezuela. Food of the State of Bolívar. Venezuela (2012). Recovered from yansi-comidatipicadevenezuela.blogspot.com.
4. La Sapoara: Typical dish of the State of Bolívar. Venezuela. (2015) Recovered from pac.com.ve.