page_title: Hallaca
section_title: Traditions
hierarchical_section_title: Hallaca / Traditions
caption_attribution_description: Español: Tipico Plato Navideño Venezolano, Hallaca, Bollo, Pernil, Pan de Jamon y ensalada de Gallina
context_page_description: Hallaca is a dish from Venezuela. It consists of corn dough stuffed with a stew of beef, pork, or chicken and other ingredients such as raisins, capers, and olives Like some tamales, hallacas are folded in plantain leaves, tied with strings, and boiled; The dish is traditionally served during the Christmas season and has several regional variants in Venezuela. It has been described as a national dish of Venezuela but it can be found also in variants. Some speculate it originated from the Orinoquia. A characteristic of the hallaca is the delicate corn dough made with consommé or broth and lard colored with annatto. Hallacas are also commonly consumed in eastern Cuba parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Aruba, and Curaçao.
context_section_description: Hallaca is a staple of Venezuelan Christmas celebrations Christmas meals in Venezuela would include hallacas, pastries, pan de jamón and chicken stew, but not all families have been able to afford them during food shortages in Venezuela. In 2014, despite food shortages affecting the country, the Venezuelan government created a hallaca with a length of around 400 feet, a Guinness World Record. In contrast to Venezuelan tradition, hallacas are popular year-round in Ecuador, and several variants exist across the country's different regions. Along with humitas, they are a staple of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine.
  Families usually gather in the morning to prep the ingredients. Banana leaves brought in from the fields will have contaminants and need to be cleaned thoroughly before use.
caption: Traditional Christmas meal in Venezuela with pan de jamón and hallacas.
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