When a Taste of Home is the Best Gift at Christmas
A Taste of Tradition
In a small living room on the Northwest Side, a mildly contentious debate unfolds: Isn’t a Venezuelan hallaca basically the same thing as a Mexican tamale?
A Family Recipe
“An hallaca is an hallaca,” said Maria Carolina Guilarte in Spanish, “and a tamal is a tamal.”
Guilarte is assembling the foodstuff in question at her makeshift assembly line, set up across a long table that extends from her kitchen. Hallacas, a popular Christmas dish among Venezuelans, are made of corn dough mixed with chicken or beef and rolled with peppers, capers, raisins and olives into banana leaves. Every family has its own recipe.
A Taste of Home
She explained how she mixed the dough and how she uses achiote, a nutty and peppery spice, for texture and color. Then Guilarte spread the dough on the leaf, massaging it slowly.
Nearly 8 million people have fled Venezuela since President Nicolás Maduro took office in 2013. About four years ago, Guilarte became one of them, amid a yearslong economic collapse. Thousands of recent migrants from Venezuela, including her two children, now call Chicago home.
A Holiday Tradition
In Venezuela, Guilarte was a dentist. But here, she has started a catering business using recipes handed down from her mother and aunts. She recalled how her large family would come together to make hallacas: Younger children cleaned the leaves, teenagers chopped the vegetables. Once you turn 40, she said, you saute the ingredients and put the hallacas together.
A Sense of Belonging
Away from her homeland, Guilarte mostly makes the hallacas by herself. A friend, also from Venezuela, sits on the couch. Guilarte’s teenage kids pop in and out of the room.
A Gift from Home
Guilarte said many Venezuelans who still remain in their country won’t have enough food to celebrate the holidays. She described memories of her family gatherings during Christmases in a more prosperous Venezuela, some 20 years ago, when people could afford to buy all the ingredients and supermarkets sold plenty of goods.
A Conclusion
A taste of home is often the best gift at Christmas. For Maria Carolina Guilarte and thousands of Venezuelan migrants like her, a hallaca is more than just a traditional dish – it’s a reminder of their homeland and a connection to their cultural heritage. As they gather around the table to share a meal, they are reminded of the importance of family, community, and tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a hallaca?
A: A hallaca is a traditional Venezuelan dish made of corn dough mixed with chicken or beef and rolled with peppers, capers, raisins and olives into banana leaves.
Q: What is the significance of hallacas during Christmas in Venezuela?
A: Hallacas are a staple dish during Christmas in Venezuela, and many families gather together to make and share them. They represent a sense of tradition and community, and are often a highlight of the holiday season.
Q: What is the cultural significance of achiote in Venezuelan cuisine?
A: Achiote is a nutty and peppery spice commonly used in Venezuelan cuisine, particularly in dishes like hallacas. It adds texture and flavor to the dish and is often used to represent the rich cultural heritage of Venezuela.
