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Hispanic Heritage Month: Venezuelan restaurant brings taste of South America to Orlando

Hispanic Heritage Month: Venezuelan restaurant brings taste of South America to Orlando
UP ON WESH 2 NEWS AT 6:00. NOTHING DEFINES ONE’S CULTURE QUITE LIKE CUISINE, AND FOOD IN THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS A WAY OF SHOWING LOVE AND IDENTITY. STEWART: IN RECOGNITION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, WE TAKE YOU TO A LOCAL VENEZUELAN RESTAURANT BRINGING A PIECE OF SOUTH AMERICA TO YOUR TASTE BUDS. ♪ MEET ARTURO. HE IS THE FIRST IN HIS FAMILY TO MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES. >> I LOVE MY COUNTRY BECAUSE MY FAMILY IS THERE. REPORTER: SOMETHING ABOUT HOME AND VENEZUELA WAS MISSING. WELCOME TO OUR WONDERFUL UPDATE BUT. IT IS SMALL BUT BUSY. CUSTOMERS IN AND OUT AND THE DROP IS HIS MOTHER’S RECIPE OF THESE MEET AND VEGETABLE AREPAS. >> WE HAVE THE SPECIAL HOUSE ONES. WE MAKE IT WITH CORN, SWEET CORN. WITH CHEESE. STEWART: LET’S START THERE. YOU SAID THE CORN ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE. I WILL TRY THIS ONE HERE. >> YOU SEE THAT CHEESE? STEWART: I AM GOING TO DOUBLE DIP BECAUSE THIS IS GOOD. ARTURO SAYS HE PUTS HIS HEART INTO EACH ORDER SO THAT THE PERSON EATING FEELS A CONNECTION TO WHERE HE IS FROM. WHAT IT IS THAT LIKE WHEN YOU COOK? THIS IS YOUR SIGNATURE ONE, RIGHT? >> IT IS THE WONDER AREAPA, THE SAME NAME AS THE RESTAURANT. STEWART: THE CHEESE IS IN EVERYTHING. >> YOU GOT IT. THAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO EAT IT. STEWART: A LOT OF FLAVORS AT ONE TIME. >> THIS IS MADE WITH CANE SUGAR AND LEMON. STEWART: THIS IS FANTASTIC. IT IS HIS HOPE, ALL THAT LEAD TO PLACE OF BUSINESS TAKE A LITTLE SPECIAL MEMORY WITH THEM. >> IF YOU DO NOT MAKE A MESS, YOU DO NOT EAT RIGHT. STEWART: WHEN YOU MAKE EVERY MEAL, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THEY GET? >> LOV
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Hispanic Heritage Month: Venezuelan restaurant brings taste of South America to Orlando
Nothing defines one's culture quite like cuisine and food in the Hispanic community is a way of showing love and identity.A local Venezuelan restaurant has been bringing a taste of South America to Orlando. "We take care of all the presentation," Arturo Guerrero told WESH as he showed us around the restaurant. He's the first in his family to move to the United States and while life here is wonderful with his wife and kids, Guerrero said."I miss, I love my country because all my family's there," Guerrero said.Something about home in Venezuela was missing."We saw that there weren't any arepas here in Orlando, which are our principal food. We eat arepas in the morning, at night, every day. We wanted Americans to know our culture," Guerrero said. "What do they say about your food?" WESH 2's Stewart Moore asked. "Everybody loves the arepa. The American, which for the most part doesn't know about them, loves the arepa," Guerrero said. Wonder Arepa is his restaurant on Orange Blossom Trail, just off Interstate 4. It's small but busy. Customers are in and out, and delivery food orders are nonstop.And the draw is his mother's recipe of meat and veggie-packed arepas."We have two arepas, the special arepa of the house — the steak one. We have Cachapa and then we have El Tequeno," Guerrero said. "We use the same ingredients that we use in Venezuela to make the arepa," Guerrero said.Guerrero said he puts his heart and soul into each order, making sure the person eating the dish feels a connection to where he's from."What's it like when you cook? Do you feel like you're putting Venezuela in the arepas?" Moore said. "Our motif is that you are going to eat like you would at your grandma's house, and we put on the plate the real Venezuelan flavor," Guerrero said.It's his hope all who leave the business take a special memory with them."We bring this flavor and this culture because the arepa is more than food. It's culture and that is what we want to bring here to Orlando," Guerrero said."When you make every meal and people go and eat it, what are you hoping they get out of it?" Moore asked."Love because of our food. Arepa is love," Guerrero said.

Nothing defines one's culture quite like cuisine and food in the Hispanic community is a way of showing love and identity.

A local Venezuelan restaurant has been bringing a taste of South America to Orlando.

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"We take care of all the presentation," Arturo Guerrero told WESH as he showed us around the restaurant.

He's the first in his family to move to the United States and while life here is wonderful with his wife and kids, Guerrero said.

"I miss, I love my country because all my family's there," Guerrero said.

Something about home in Venezuela was missing.

"We saw that there weren't any arepas here in Orlando, which are our principal food. We eat arepas in the morning, at night, every day. We wanted Americans to know our culture," Guerrero said.

"What do they say about your food?" WESH 2's Stewart Moore asked.

"Everybody loves the arepa. The American, which for the most part doesn't know about them, loves the arepa," Guerrero said.

Wonder Arepa is his restaurant on Orange Blossom Trail, just off Interstate 4. It's small but busy.

Customers are in and out, and delivery food orders are nonstop.

And the draw is his mother's recipe of meat and veggie-packed arepas.

"We have two arepas, the special arepa of the house — the steak one. We have Cachapa and then we have El Tequeno," Guerrero said.

"We use the same ingredients that we use in Venezuela to make the arepa," Guerrero said.

Guerrero said he puts his heart and soul into each order, making sure the person eating the dish feels a connection to where he's from.

"What's it like when you cook? Do you feel like you're putting Venezuela in the arepas?" Moore said.

"Our motif is that you are going to eat like you would at your grandma's house, and we put on the plate the real Venezuelan flavor," Guerrero said.

It's his hope all who leave the business take a special memory with them.

"We bring this flavor and this culture because the arepa is more than food. It's culture and that is what we want to bring here to Orlando," Guerrero said.

"When you make every meal and people go and eat it, what are you hoping they get out of it?" Moore asked.

"Love because of our food. Arepa is love," Guerrero said.