Around the holidays there are plenty of delicious edible offerings, but the specialty dishes from Puyero on South Street are among some of the best. The cultural and traditional Venezuelan dishes are only being offered until Dec. 30, and it’s time to scoop yours up.
If you haven’t tried the holiday dishes from Puyero yet, you need too
If you’ve ever been to Puyero you know the dishes at this popular eatery are no joke, they are authentic and incredibly delicious. The holiday specialty items take it up a notch. Christmas is the most important holiday in Venezuela and owners Gil and Simon Arends and Gil’s wife Manuela Villasmil will again share with Philadelphia their country’s and family’s special recipes and traditions.
Specialty holiday dishes include Hallacas (traditional Venezuelan tamales wrapped in plantain leaves) in three varieties this year (Chicken, Chicken and Pork and Veggie $8-$9) plus the return of Pan de jamón (Venezuelan Christmas bread $10) and Andes Style Hot Chocolate (thick and creamy hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla $3.) “We are trying to share as much of the Venezuelan Christmas spirit as we can at Puyero,” said owner Gil Arends. “We’ve changed our dining room playlist but most importantly we are adding hallacas to our menu. Come unwrap these tasty new offerings! We are excited to share one of our favorite customs with you.”
The Hallacas are extra special, in Venezuela, each family has its own unique recipe for these Venezuelan style tamales, they are the “US Christmas cookies” of the area, meaning they are a staple. Each one is made from corn dough and stuffed with a stew made from the meat of choice. The fat from the stew is also used to add extra flavor to the corn dough. It is then wrapped in plantain leaves, tied with strings and boiled to deliciousness.
“Venezuelans gather every Christmas with friends and families to make hallacas!” said Manuela Villasmil. “It’s a tradition passed down from generation to generation and now we want to share it with our Philly family. Join us for a cooking night filled with food and music. You’ll be making your own hallaca and wrapping it up in plantain leaves to take home. We’ll close the night off with a traditional Venezuelan holiday dinner, with a hallaca, chicken salad and pan de jamón. Can’t wait to see you there, los esperamos!”
All of these delicious holiday specialty items will be offered at Puyero until Dec. 30. They are all perfect for any time of day from breakfast to dinner. You can pre-order Hallacas (10 or more) over the phone for any holiday event, or if you just are extra hungry.
Puyero is located at 524 S 4th St., Philadelphia, puyeroflavor.com
