April’s Foodie: Andreina Paredes Angulo

Andreina Paredes Angulo is new to the restaurant business, but if she’s nervous, you’d never know it. Four years after moving to Indiana from Venezuela, she excitedly talks about her plans for Azucar Morena, her food stall at The Bottleworks District, the long-awaited multi-use space in the old Coca-Cola Bottling Company on Mass Ave. “I love cooking my traditional foods,” says Angulo. “I want to bring that culture to Indianapolis.”

Azucar Morena will be a showcase for the classic Venezuelan foods Angulo has been cooking her whole life, including arepas, the crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside discs made of refined corn flour. “Everyone thinks they know what an arepa is,” she says. “They think it’s a taco. No! It’s different. We want people to know what an authentic arepa is.” Diners can choose from classic fillings like black beans and fresh white cheese, or build their own with ingredients like avocado salad with tuna, or ham and cheese.

Expect other Venezuelan hallmarks like cachapas (similar to arepas, but chunkier, with a hint of sweetness), and tequeños (baked cheese sticks), plus smoothies and fresh cold-pressed juices with ingredients like mango, cilantro, and pineapple. Don’t miss Angulo’s favorite beverage here: papelón con limón, made with unrefined sugar cane, water, and lime. “Everything we have on our menu is completely different than anything tried here,” she says. “There are lots of options. All you need is a big imagination.”

Andreina Paredes Angulo favorite things: (1) Fresh tuna.“Boiled lightly, deboned, and shredded. We got it straight from the sea in Venezuela.” (2) Cheese. “Especially goat.” (3) Maracay. “It’s my hometown in Venezuela, on the most beautiful coast in the country.” (4) Green juice in the morning. “Like a little detox to start the day.” (5) Budare. “The perfect pan to make arepas.”

Click here to get Angulo’s easy green-juice recipe.