Post by Dominicanese on Oct 30, 2017 19:31:11 GMT
Venezuela.
Culture:
The culture of Venezuela is a melting pot, which includes mainly three different families: The indigenous, African, and Spanish. The first two cultures were in turn differentiated according to the tribes. Acculturation and assimilation, typical of a cultural syncretism, caused an arrival at the current Venezuelan culture, similar in many respects to the rest of Latin America, although the natural environment means that there are important differences.
The indigenous influence is limited to a few words of vocabulary and gastronomy and many place names. The African influence in the same way, in addition to musical instruments like the drum. The Spanish influence was predominant (due to the colonization process and the socioeconomic structure it created) and in particular came from the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, the places of origin of most settlers in the Caribbean during the colonial era. An example of this includes buildings, music, the Catholic religion, and language.
Spanish influences are evident in bullfights and certain features of gastronomy. Venezuela was also enriched by other streams of Indian and European origin in the 19th century, especially from France. In the latest stage in the major cities and regions oil of U.S. origin and manifestations of the new immigration of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, increasing the already complex cultural mosaic. For example, from United States comes the influence of taste for baseball, US-style fast food, and current architectural constructions.
Cuisine:
Due to its world, its diversity of industrial resources and the cultural diversity of the Venezuelan people, Venezuelan cuisine often varies greatly from one region to another. Its cuisine, traditional as well as modern, is influenced by its European (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French), West African and Native American traditions. Food staples include corn, rice, plantain, yams, beans and several meats. Potatoes, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, squashes, spinach and zucchini are also common sides in the Venezuelan diet.
The round maize loaf is mostly made of corn. The “Pavillion” is known as a national dish and is made of black beans, rice, banana slices and meat. The “Hallaca” is basically a stew with meat, olives, capers, hot sauce and corn cooked in banana leaves. The “Caracas Pabellon” is also a famous Venezuelan traditional dish. The main ingredients for this dish are: black beans, white rice and stuffed meat. This dish changes its name into “Pabellon con Baranda” if it has also sliced fried plantains. “Hallaca” is the traditional Venezuelan dish for the Christmas dinner and its ingredients varies from region to region. For example, the Caracas “Hallaca” is very rich in ingredients and the Ands “Hallaca” contains seedless tomatoes. Beef, Pork or Chicken meat is the main ingredient for the “Hallaca”. This dish is completely wrapped in plantain leaves. The “Cachapa” is the Venezuelan omelet made of sweet corn, milk, salt and Sugar. In different regions of Venezuela, the “Cachapa” is called “Cachapa de hoja” and is mostly made of the same main ingredients. The only thing that changes is that the omelet is wrapped in corn leaves and boiled latter. The Venezuelan “Mondongo” was inspired by the Spanish “Callos or Tripas”. In the center region of Venezuela, the “Mondongo” is made of cow’s feet or tripe. In the eastern region of Venezuela, this dish is made of tripe, Offal and small meat pieces. The “Emapandas” are fried “Bollos” made of cornmeal and stuffed with cheese or fish.
There are no specific preparation methods in the Venezuelan cuisine; it’s just that the recipes need to be closely followed. For example, for the famous Venezuelan corn pancakes, named the “Cachapas”, the main ingredients are eggs, Sugar, milk, salt and canned corn or tender corn kernels. All the ingredients have to be combined in a blender and mixed together until they become thick. The obtained mix has to be shaped into pancakes. Next step is to let them cook on both sides for about one minute. The “Cachapas” are usually served hot with feta cheese. The preparation method for “Arroz con Leche” is also simple. For an “Arroz con Leche”, the main ingredients are: rice, water, milk, Sugar, salt, lemon peel, cinnamon powder and sticks. The rice has to be washed in cold water and after that boiled for about ten minutes. Next step is adding the milk, the cinnamon and the lemon peel. The rice has to boil for another ten minutes on moderate heat, the Sugar and salt has to be added. After boiling the rice for another 15 minutes, the cinnamon powder is being added. The “Arroz con Lecho” is served chilled.
The Venezuelan traditional cuisine doesn’t need sophisticated special equipment for cooking. Like the other international cuisines, the Venezuelan one needs the basic equipment set like soup ladles, food pans, or mugs, ovens, grills, etc. The Venezuelan Barbecued Pork is a delicious meat dish. The main ingredients are: boneless Pork butt, parsley springs, garlic, Onion, red or green pepper, white vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. The meat has to be cut in small cubes using a sharp knife; the parsley has to be chopped and put into a bowl. Next step is to chop the garlic and to mix it with the bell pepper and the Onion. All these ingredients have to be added into the parsley bowl and mixed together. Next step is adding this mix over the meat. The ingredients have to be sealed and refrigerated for about five hours or better, overnight. The grill has to be set so that there will be no direct heat for the steak. The refrigerated ingredients have to be drained and the meat placed on the grill. Each side should be cooked for about a half an hour and basted with marinade. Finally the Pork is served with a heated sauce made of the marinade.
Like in all other cuisines and cultures, there are several food festivals in Venezuela also. Usually these food festivals last for about three-four days and people from all Venezuelan regions are gathering to celebrate the Venezuelan food traditions and the culture. During these festivals important food producers are taking part, promoting their products. Famous chefs are performing live cooking and people are invited to taste the daintiness and even to buy from home. Live vocal bands are performing and people are having a great time. In Venezuela there are even international food festivals over the year. During these international food festivals the Venezuelans are zealously presenting their traditional dishes to the other competitors. Venezuelan dishes like “Cachapa”, the Venezuelan bread, “Arepas” or the roast Chicken named “Polo Assado” are highly appreciated by the foreigners and can be found in international restaurants or in Venezuelan restaurants located in different countries. During these Venezuelan food festivals there are cooking tournaments with different prizes or short term Venezuelan cooking courses. Most of these Venezuelan food festivals are taking place in the capital, Caracas because this city is known to be the culinary capital of Latin America.
Music:
Several styles of the traditional music of Venezuela, such as salsa and merengue, are common to its Caribbean neighbors. Perhaps the most typical Venezuelan music is joropo, a rural form which originated in the llanos, or plains.
Joropo was developed by creative artists such as Juan Vicente Torrealba, Ignacio Figueredo, Eneas Perdomo and Angel Custodio Loyola, who helped to popularize the music throughout the country. Since then a slick, contemporary form of pop-llanera has developed which has earned the scorn of some purists who perceive it as stale and watered-down. Some singers, such as Adilia Castillo, Simon Diaz and Reynaldo Armas have maintained a huge following over the years. In a similar vein, there is also neo-folklore, which takes traditional music and arranges it in an electronic style.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 67% Mixed
* 21% White
* 10% Black
* 2% Amerindian
People:
On August 2, 1498 (516 years), Christopher Columbus, and the Spanish colonizers ships, landed for the first time in American mainland and did so in the current Venezuelan territory. With the rapid colonization process despite small local indigenous rebellions, the Spaniards manage to conquer the territory, beginning during this period the most significant crossbreeding process that will define later the social profile of the country. Black Africans were brought as slaves, mostly coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century and continuing into the nineteenth century. Other immigrant populations are Asian and Middle East, particularly Lebanon, Syria and the Arab world, some Jews from southern Spain, Israel and Central European nations.
The country has a diverse population that reflects its rich history and the people that have lived here since antiquity to the present. The historic amalgam of different principal groups form the basis of the current demographics of Venezuela: the European immigrants, the Amerindian peoples, African, Asian, Middle Eastern and other recent immigrants.
Languages:
Spanish is the official language of Venezuela. Although the country is mostly monolingual Spanish, many languages are spoken in Venezuela. In addition to Spanish, the Constitution recognizes more than thirty indigenous languages, including Wayuu, Warao, Pemón, and many others for the official use of the indigenous peoples, mostly with few speakers – less than 1% of the total population. Wayuu is the most spoken indigenous language with 170,000 speakers.
Venezuelan Spanish is spoken differently depending on the region. Venezuelan Spanish as a whole stems from Castillian, Galician, Andaluzian, Basque, and The Canary Islands with some minor influences from Indigenous languages. There are also some words of West African origin. Coastal Venezuelan Spanish is largely of Canarian and Andaluzian origin with some influences from other languages. Places such as Barlovento with high Afro descentant populations tend to acquire some noticeable African influences. The more interior region of Venezuela has stronger Indigenous influences in the Spanish spoken there.
Religion:
Venezuela, like most South American nations, is a predominantly Catholic nation. The influence of the Catholic Church was introduced in its colonization by Spain. According to a 2011 poll (GIS XXI), 88 percent of the population is Christian, primarily Roman Catholic (71%), and the remaining 17 percent Protestant, primarily Evangelicals (in Latin America Protestants are usually called Evangelicos). The Venezuelans without religion are 8% (atheist 2% and agnostic or indifferent 6%), almost 3% of the population follow other religion (1% of them are of santeria).
Economy:
The Central Bank of Venezuela is responsible for developing monetary policy for the Venezuelan bolívar which is used as currency. The President of the Central Bank of Venezuela serves as the country's representative in the International Monetary Fund. The U.S.-based conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, cited in The Wall Street Journal, claims Venezuela has the weakest property rights in the world, scoring only 5.0 on a scale of 100; expropriation without compensation is not uncommon. Venezuela has a mixed economy dominated by the petroleum sector, which accounts for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of exports, and more than half of government revenues. Per capita GDP for 2016 was estimated to be US$15,100, ranking 109th in the world. Venezuela has the least expensive petrol in the world because the consumer price of petrol is heavily subsidized. Over 82% of Venezuelans suffer from poverty.
Sports:
The major sports in Venezuela are baseball, basketball and Football (Soccer). Baseball in Venezuela originates with the early 20th century cultural influence of the United States oil companies. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League was established in 1945. Football (Soccer) in Venezuela lags behind baseball, but its popularity in recent years has grown. Basketball and volleyball are also popular sports; there has been a national basketball league since 1974. The Vuelta a Venezuela is one of six cycling events in the UCI America Tour. The polo club Lechuza Caracas has had some success in North American polo competitions.
Venezuelan videos
Culture:
The culture of Venezuela is a melting pot, which includes mainly three different families: The indigenous, African, and Spanish. The first two cultures were in turn differentiated according to the tribes. Acculturation and assimilation, typical of a cultural syncretism, caused an arrival at the current Venezuelan culture, similar in many respects to the rest of Latin America, although the natural environment means that there are important differences.
The indigenous influence is limited to a few words of vocabulary and gastronomy and many place names. The African influence in the same way, in addition to musical instruments like the drum. The Spanish influence was predominant (due to the colonization process and the socioeconomic structure it created) and in particular came from the regions of Andalusia and Extremadura, the places of origin of most settlers in the Caribbean during the colonial era. An example of this includes buildings, music, the Catholic religion, and language.
Spanish influences are evident in bullfights and certain features of gastronomy. Venezuela was also enriched by other streams of Indian and European origin in the 19th century, especially from France. In the latest stage in the major cities and regions oil of U.S. origin and manifestations of the new immigration of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, increasing the already complex cultural mosaic. For example, from United States comes the influence of taste for baseball, US-style fast food, and current architectural constructions.
Cuisine:
Due to its world, its diversity of industrial resources and the cultural diversity of the Venezuelan people, Venezuelan cuisine often varies greatly from one region to another. Its cuisine, traditional as well as modern, is influenced by its European (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French), West African and Native American traditions. Food staples include corn, rice, plantain, yams, beans and several meats. Potatoes, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, squashes, spinach and zucchini are also common sides in the Venezuelan diet.
The round maize loaf is mostly made of corn. The “Pavillion” is known as a national dish and is made of black beans, rice, banana slices and meat. The “Hallaca” is basically a stew with meat, olives, capers, hot sauce and corn cooked in banana leaves. The “Caracas Pabellon” is also a famous Venezuelan traditional dish. The main ingredients for this dish are: black beans, white rice and stuffed meat. This dish changes its name into “Pabellon con Baranda” if it has also sliced fried plantains. “Hallaca” is the traditional Venezuelan dish for the Christmas dinner and its ingredients varies from region to region. For example, the Caracas “Hallaca” is very rich in ingredients and the Ands “Hallaca” contains seedless tomatoes. Beef, Pork or Chicken meat is the main ingredient for the “Hallaca”. This dish is completely wrapped in plantain leaves. The “Cachapa” is the Venezuelan omelet made of sweet corn, milk, salt and Sugar. In different regions of Venezuela, the “Cachapa” is called “Cachapa de hoja” and is mostly made of the same main ingredients. The only thing that changes is that the omelet is wrapped in corn leaves and boiled latter. The Venezuelan “Mondongo” was inspired by the Spanish “Callos or Tripas”. In the center region of Venezuela, the “Mondongo” is made of cow’s feet or tripe. In the eastern region of Venezuela, this dish is made of tripe, Offal and small meat pieces. The “Emapandas” are fried “Bollos” made of cornmeal and stuffed with cheese or fish.
There are no specific preparation methods in the Venezuelan cuisine; it’s just that the recipes need to be closely followed. For example, for the famous Venezuelan corn pancakes, named the “Cachapas”, the main ingredients are eggs, Sugar, milk, salt and canned corn or tender corn kernels. All the ingredients have to be combined in a blender and mixed together until they become thick. The obtained mix has to be shaped into pancakes. Next step is to let them cook on both sides for about one minute. The “Cachapas” are usually served hot with feta cheese. The preparation method for “Arroz con Leche” is also simple. For an “Arroz con Leche”, the main ingredients are: rice, water, milk, Sugar, salt, lemon peel, cinnamon powder and sticks. The rice has to be washed in cold water and after that boiled for about ten minutes. Next step is adding the milk, the cinnamon and the lemon peel. The rice has to boil for another ten minutes on moderate heat, the Sugar and salt has to be added. After boiling the rice for another 15 minutes, the cinnamon powder is being added. The “Arroz con Lecho” is served chilled.
The Venezuelan traditional cuisine doesn’t need sophisticated special equipment for cooking. Like the other international cuisines, the Venezuelan one needs the basic equipment set like soup ladles, food pans, or mugs, ovens, grills, etc. The Venezuelan Barbecued Pork is a delicious meat dish. The main ingredients are: boneless Pork butt, parsley springs, garlic, Onion, red or green pepper, white vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. The meat has to be cut in small cubes using a sharp knife; the parsley has to be chopped and put into a bowl. Next step is to chop the garlic and to mix it with the bell pepper and the Onion. All these ingredients have to be added into the parsley bowl and mixed together. Next step is adding this mix over the meat. The ingredients have to be sealed and refrigerated for about five hours or better, overnight. The grill has to be set so that there will be no direct heat for the steak. The refrigerated ingredients have to be drained and the meat placed on the grill. Each side should be cooked for about a half an hour and basted with marinade. Finally the Pork is served with a heated sauce made of the marinade.
Like in all other cuisines and cultures, there are several food festivals in Venezuela also. Usually these food festivals last for about three-four days and people from all Venezuelan regions are gathering to celebrate the Venezuelan food traditions and the culture. During these festivals important food producers are taking part, promoting their products. Famous chefs are performing live cooking and people are invited to taste the daintiness and even to buy from home. Live vocal bands are performing and people are having a great time. In Venezuela there are even international food festivals over the year. During these international food festivals the Venezuelans are zealously presenting their traditional dishes to the other competitors. Venezuelan dishes like “Cachapa”, the Venezuelan bread, “Arepas” or the roast Chicken named “Polo Assado” are highly appreciated by the foreigners and can be found in international restaurants or in Venezuelan restaurants located in different countries. During these Venezuelan food festivals there are cooking tournaments with different prizes or short term Venezuelan cooking courses. Most of these Venezuelan food festivals are taking place in the capital, Caracas because this city is known to be the culinary capital of Latin America.
Music:
Several styles of the traditional music of Venezuela, such as salsa and merengue, are common to its Caribbean neighbors. Perhaps the most typical Venezuelan music is joropo, a rural form which originated in the llanos, or plains.
Joropo was developed by creative artists such as Juan Vicente Torrealba, Ignacio Figueredo, Eneas Perdomo and Angel Custodio Loyola, who helped to popularize the music throughout the country. Since then a slick, contemporary form of pop-llanera has developed which has earned the scorn of some purists who perceive it as stale and watered-down. Some singers, such as Adilia Castillo, Simon Diaz and Reynaldo Armas have maintained a huge following over the years. In a similar vein, there is also neo-folklore, which takes traditional music and arranges it in an electronic style.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 67% Mixed
* 21% White
* 10% Black
* 2% Amerindian
People:
On August 2, 1498 (516 years), Christopher Columbus, and the Spanish colonizers ships, landed for the first time in American mainland and did so in the current Venezuelan territory. With the rapid colonization process despite small local indigenous rebellions, the Spaniards manage to conquer the territory, beginning during this period the most significant crossbreeding process that will define later the social profile of the country. Black Africans were brought as slaves, mostly coastal lowlands, beginning early in the sixteenth century and continuing into the nineteenth century. Other immigrant populations are Asian and Middle East, particularly Lebanon, Syria and the Arab world, some Jews from southern Spain, Israel and Central European nations.
The country has a diverse population that reflects its rich history and the people that have lived here since antiquity to the present. The historic amalgam of different principal groups form the basis of the current demographics of Venezuela: the European immigrants, the Amerindian peoples, African, Asian, Middle Eastern and other recent immigrants.
Languages:
Spanish is the official language of Venezuela. Although the country is mostly monolingual Spanish, many languages are spoken in Venezuela. In addition to Spanish, the Constitution recognizes more than thirty indigenous languages, including Wayuu, Warao, Pemón, and many others for the official use of the indigenous peoples, mostly with few speakers – less than 1% of the total population. Wayuu is the most spoken indigenous language with 170,000 speakers.
Venezuelan Spanish is spoken differently depending on the region. Venezuelan Spanish as a whole stems from Castillian, Galician, Andaluzian, Basque, and The Canary Islands with some minor influences from Indigenous languages. There are also some words of West African origin. Coastal Venezuelan Spanish is largely of Canarian and Andaluzian origin with some influences from other languages. Places such as Barlovento with high Afro descentant populations tend to acquire some noticeable African influences. The more interior region of Venezuela has stronger Indigenous influences in the Spanish spoken there.
Religion:
Venezuela, like most South American nations, is a predominantly Catholic nation. The influence of the Catholic Church was introduced in its colonization by Spain. According to a 2011 poll (GIS XXI), 88 percent of the population is Christian, primarily Roman Catholic (71%), and the remaining 17 percent Protestant, primarily Evangelicals (in Latin America Protestants are usually called Evangelicos). The Venezuelans without religion are 8% (atheist 2% and agnostic or indifferent 6%), almost 3% of the population follow other religion (1% of them are of santeria).
Economy:
The Central Bank of Venezuela is responsible for developing monetary policy for the Venezuelan bolívar which is used as currency. The President of the Central Bank of Venezuela serves as the country's representative in the International Monetary Fund. The U.S.-based conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, cited in The Wall Street Journal, claims Venezuela has the weakest property rights in the world, scoring only 5.0 on a scale of 100; expropriation without compensation is not uncommon. Venezuela has a mixed economy dominated by the petroleum sector, which accounts for roughly a third of GDP, around 80% of exports, and more than half of government revenues. Per capita GDP for 2016 was estimated to be US$15,100, ranking 109th in the world. Venezuela has the least expensive petrol in the world because the consumer price of petrol is heavily subsidized. Over 82% of Venezuelans suffer from poverty.
Sports:
The major sports in Venezuela are baseball, basketball and Football (Soccer). Baseball in Venezuela originates with the early 20th century cultural influence of the United States oil companies. The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League was established in 1945. Football (Soccer) in Venezuela lags behind baseball, but its popularity in recent years has grown. Basketball and volleyball are also popular sports; there has been a national basketball league since 1974. The Vuelta a Venezuela is one of six cycling events in the UCI America Tour. The polo club Lechuza Caracas has had some success in North American polo competitions.
Venezuelan videos