What Does The Healing Power of an Arepa Imply In The Movie Encanto?
“You just cured my hand with an arepa with cheese,” Mirabel Madrigal says to her mother, Julieta, in the film “Encanto,” while holding a cheese arepa, a round lump of corn.
“I cured your hand with love,” Julieta replies.
“Encanto,” which won the Oscar Award for Best Animated Film this year, is the story of the magical Madrigal family, who, except for Mirabel, have superpowers. While the film’s themes are based on family and love, its foundations are rooted in Colombian culture, which includes highlighting the arepa as an essential part of its cuisine.
“They are a total comfort food, although it’s also part of the daily diet, and it’s a very important part of our daily culture,” said Carmen Angel, chef and co-owner of Carmen Restaurants in Cartagena and Medellin, Colombia.
Arepas are what Colombians consider their bread, said Alejandro Osorio, co-owner of Arepa Lady restaurant, a New York City-based arepería, which has locations in the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Traditional arepas are eaten at meals throughout the day and, while they can be prepared in a variety of ways, at their essence, arepas are made from cornmeal.
The corn undergoes nixtamalization, which is the removal of the hard outer husk of the corn with lime water. Once the corn is soft, it is ground with a little salt and turned into a dough and shaped into a thin round shape and grilled over coals, Angel said.
There are several types of arepas only in Colombia
The type of arepa you eat depends on the type of corn you use, what you put in the dough and the Colombian region where the recipe originates.
A sweeter arepa, called arepa de choclo, is made with fresh sweet corn. At a restaurant like Arepa Lady, Osorio said, these arepas can be served with butter and cheese, or meat can be put inside if the customer requests it. The restaurant also serves cheese arepas, like the ones Mirabel ate at “Encanto,” which are made with mozzarella cheese inside the dough.
On the Colombian coast, locals fry an arepa with an egg inside, Osorio said. In Osorio’s hometown of Medellín, arepas are often sold as street food, served with condensed milk as a topping or even just butter and salt.
The arepa’s versatility speaks to how accessible it is to all types of Colombians, according to Ángel. Its many variations also demonstrate how dishes rooted in the diet of indigenous peoples have continued to thrive among modern food adaptations, he added.
“I feel that arepas are like one of the foods that almost all Colombians eat on a daily basis, regardless of their (socioeconomic) status, regardless of where they live, regardless of their religion,” Angel said.
The healing power of arepas
Beyond the cultural connection, arepas are also a source of nutritional benefits, given that they contain vitamins A and C. These two essential nutrients aid in immunity and eye health, according to Andie Lee Gonzalez, a registered dietitian based in Palmview, Texas. Vitamin C offers antioxidants and builds an immunity pathway, she added, while vitamin A supports retinal health and eye vision.
A serving of arepa will have about 15 to 20 grams of carbohydrates, so Gonzalez suggests adding vegetables, low-fat dairy or a lean source of protein to make the arepa a balanced meal.
While arepas may not cure a cut on someone’s hand like in “Encanto,” Gonzalez said the film’s message about the dish lies in how “staple foods in our cultures are part of our lives.”
“When I saw that part of the film, it really brings to light how in our Hispanic and Latino community we use food to heal the soul,” Gonzalez said.