~403 cal · 7g protein · 61g carbs · 17g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Golden arepas filled with white cheese, topped with tomato hogao
🇨🇴 Antioquia
In Antioquia the arepa is not a side — it appears at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and paisas judge a household by its griddle. Hogao, the slow-cooked tomato and scallion sofrito, is the region’s universal sauce, spooned over everything that holds still.
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Make it yours
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 4 —
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2 cups masarepa (pre-cooked white cornmeal)
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2.5 cups warm water
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1.5 cups quesito or queso fresco, crumbled
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3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
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6 scallions, sliced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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1/2 tsp ground cumin
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4 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
1
Mix the masarepa, warm water, and a teaspoon of salt; rest 5 minutes, then knead smooth. Shape into 8 thick discs.
2
Griddle the arepas in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat, 6–7 minutes per side, until golden with charred freckles.
3
Make the hogao: cook the scallions, garlic, and cumin in oil until soft, add tomatoes, and stew gently 15 minutes into a soft, spoonable sauce.
4
Split the hot arepas and stuff generously with the cheese so it softens inside.
5
Spoon warm hogao over the top and eat immediately, ideally with hot chocolate — a paisa breakfast.
Antioquia paisa table.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Antioquia. Medellín’s mountain province, fueled by corn and coffee.
🗺️
Colombia. Two coastlines, three cordilleras, countless arepas.
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South America. Andes, Amazon, and Atlantic all on one plate.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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