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While local cuisine seduces all foreigners in Peru, Venezuelan immigrants are reluctant to forget their emblematic foods, which has led the country to record an important record of cornmeal with which arepas are prepared.
Purchases of cornmeal by Peru, which is produced mainly for domestic consumption, grew by 345% in the first seven months of the year compared to the same period last year, said Friday Chamber of Commerce of Lima.
Already in the two years up to the end of 2018, the volume of imports of corn flour had increased from 249 tons to 4,854 tons.
The private merchants' union pointed out that the Venezuelans in Peru, which amounted to around 860,000 according to the data of the immigration office, generated demand for this type of flour.
"This is reflected in the elaboration of dishes such as the arepas, which precisely require the use of corn flour and which in turn are a symbol of the Venezuelan identity, culture and tradition", has affirmed Ricardo Espejo, coordinator of the area of foreign trade of the camera in a declaration.
The largest supplier of cornmeal in Peru is Colombia, where 85% of the total imported comes from.
In Lima, where most of the Venezuelan immigrants live, it is common to see street vendors offering arepas at bus stops or stalls.
There are also Venezuelan restaurants in residential neighborhoods that sell arepas even with home delivery.
About 4 million people have left Venezuela since 2015, trying to escape a crisis that has deprived many basic foods and medicines, according to a United Nations estimate.
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