I have so many memories of mami making arepitas de yuca and the kitchen being filled with that sugary, anise, yuca smell. It’s such a unique aroma and I’ll never forget it.
She would eat them as a snack, but they’re also great a side dish or appetizer. Yuca is one of my favorite ingredients because it’s so versatile; it can be prepared as yuca encebollada, yuca frita, and yuca fritters.
Difference between arepitas y arañitas
Arepitas are sweet yuca fritters made with grated yuca, sugar, and butter, and they have a soft inside and crisp outside. Meanwhile arañitas de yuca are made with shredded yuca, salt, and savory seasonings, and are crisp and crunchy.
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Use the finest side of the grater
To make arepitas de yuca, you need to grate the yuca through the finest side of your grate. This will be a little bit of an arm workout, but I promise you it’ll be worth it!
Use a spoon to shape the fritters
Use a spoon to scoop out tablespoon sized portions of the mixture and gently press them into small, flat discs. This will help the cassava fritters cook evenly and give them that classic fritter shape. And try to keep them on the thinner side so they’ll crisp up better and cook more evenly.
Arepitas de Yuca (Cassava Fritters)
Ingredients
- 1 yuca (cassava root)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp anise seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- Frying oil
Instructions
- Peel the yuca and grate it using the finest side of the grater until it turns into a paste. In a large bowl, mix the grated yuca with the egg, butter, salt, sugar, and anise seeds until everything is well combined.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Scoop tablespoon of the mixture into the hot oil, pressing them down slightly to shape them into small fritters.
- Cook the fritters for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown and crispy. Remove them from the pan and drain on paper towels. Serve warm and buen provecho!
