Venezuelan Christmas Spotlight: Hallacas

(Source: Wikimedia) Hallacas con pan de jamon, Venezuelan food

Recently, I was researching for my new country coloring activity focused on Venezuela and I stumbled upon some great videos dedicated to making hallacas. (I'll tell you right now, I love watching cooking shows. So you know what's coming, right?)

Now, I've never had an hallaca, but after reading about them and watching a ton of videos online, I really, really want to try one.

(Source: Wikimedia) Hallaca ingredients :: Tomas Rojas 

Very similar to tamales, hallacas are a cornmeal dish with a filling of chicken, beef, or pork. Typically, they include other ingredients such as raisins, capers, and olives. Unlike the tamal, which is wrapped in a corn husk, hallacas are wrapped in a banana leaf and boiled. This dish is traditionally served around Christmas and New Year.

(Source: Wikimedia) Hallaca after steaming :: Jaimeluisgg

One of the comments I heard most while watching videos is how moist and flavorful they are. And as you can see from the picture above, they certainly look deliciously moist.

But the best thing I found online was the following videos. Watch them with your children  - maybe you might just want to try your hand at making some with your kids this holiday season!