Hallaca

Hallacas are the traditional Venezuelan tamales. It's no more than a thin layer of corn dough stuffed with a meat filling made with beef, pork, and chicken and topped with several ingredients, such as onion rings, bell pepper, raisins, olives, etc.

It has been described as a national dish of Venezuela but it there are  also local and regional variants , of which the  preparation and ingredients vary in each region of the country and each family.

A characteristic of the hallaca is the delicate corn dough made with consommé or broth and lard colored with annatto. Hallacas are also commonly consumed in eastern Cuba, Trinidad where it referred to as pastelle, as well as parts of Colombia, Ecuador, Aruba, and Curaçao. In Nicaragua it is known as “Nacatamal”.