Venezuelan immigrants bring flavors from home to new lands

By REGINA GARCIA CANO
Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The eyes of Fabiana Marquez brightened after she took the first bite of a savory, crescent-like bread stuffed with ham and cheese. Memories flooded her mind. The Venezuelan immigrant hadn’t eaten a “cachito” in almost five years until she stumbled across a vendor outside her country’s embassy in Mexico. But if she feels disconnected from the cuisine of her homeland, many Mexicans have come to discover it. The Venezuelan diaspora has brought shops selling arepas to many parts of Mexico. They are increasingly trying to fill theirs and their fellow immigrants’ yearning for cachitos, empanadas and pastelitos while also earning much-needed money.