Ingredient appreciation — what makes Hallacas special

What sets Hallacas apart is the handling of precooked white cornmeal masarepa. In lesser versions this is treated as a background note. Here it's central and the tropical and vibrant result shows it. I've started buying it to cook with at home after this experience.

hallacas Christmas preparation is a multi-day family tradition where the whole extended family participates. The a Venezuelan diaspora restaurant abroad atmosphere was right for this kind of food. I had ron Santa Teresa rum as recommended and it matched well. If you want to understand what makes this cuisine distinctive, Hallacas is the place to start.