Cachapa is a traditional dish made from maize flour from Venezuela. Like arepas, they are popular at roadside stands. They can be made like pancakes of fresh corn dough, or wrapped in dry corn leaves and boiled (cachapa de hoja). The most common varieties are made with fresh ground corn mixed into a thick batter and cooked on a budare, like pancakes; the cachapa is slightly thicker and lumpier because of the pieces from corn kernels. Cachapas are traditionally eaten with queso de mano (hand[made] cheese), a soft, mozzarella-like cheese, and occasionally with fried pork chicharrón on the side. Cachapas can be very elaborate, some including different kinds of cheese, milky cream, or jam. They can be prepared as an appetizer, generally with margarine, or as a full breakfast with hand cheese and fried pork. In Costa Rica, chorreadas are similar. Etymology In Colombia, cachapas are known as arepas de choclo (corn arepas). In the Llanos Orientales, they are known as arepas de maiz jojoto or tierno (soft corn) In Costa Rica, the cachapas are called chorreadas (squirts) due to the liquid consistency before being cooked. This type has a little more sugar and adds a teaspoon of vanilla, which is served with eggs and Gallo pinto; this is great for a Costa Rican breakfast. In Seville, Spain, there is a similar word in the Chaima dialect, which is registered as an indigenous word "kachapa" to make a sweet arepa for the Chaima (Venezuelan tribe). In Venezuela, the word "cachapera" refers to restaurants that sell this product. But in countries such as Venezuela and Puerto Rico, cachapera could also be a derogatory term for a lesbian. History Cachapas are very prominent in Venezuelan cuisine. They have a long history, originating in pre-Columbian times when indigenous people would grind themselves the corn with stone and cook it under fireplaces. Many believe that cachapas originated between the American tribes known as chaima cultures. Still, others date this traditional dish to the Yanomami, Arawak, and Parias tribe between 500 and 1,800 years ago. The north-central region of Venezuela was known for cultivating sweet corn and using it for a special occasion to make cachapas. Today, this product can be bought pre-made or going to a specific restaurant for it, but many locals prefer to eat them as street food, knowing they are homemade, are the best. The cachapas have adopted many shapes and