Arepa Loca with Commissioner Troxler
Arepa: A Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine made from maize or corn dough and filled with meat, cheese, sauce, beans, etc.
On Monday, Oct. 9, during State Fair Media Day, media and guests tasted new foods from 14 vendors and voted for their favorite. Arepa Loca, a Raleigh-based family business, took home the blue ribbon for 2017 Best New Food. This is their first time as a vendor at the fair.
Pedro, Nancy and Nataly Garcia began sharing their unique taste of the Colombian cuisine six years ago at an international festival. The Garcias pride themselves on serving good quality products, like chicken and sirloin.
According to Pedro, the No. 1 ingredient is love.
Although Arepa Loca only does special events and catering, they plan to have a food truck in the next couple of months (Check out their Facebook page for their contact information).
As for the big win, Pedro said they “were surprised because everyone had such good products.”
As if winning wasn’t exciting enough for the family, Arepa Loca won the title on Pedro’s birthday. “We put a lot of effort into our food, and it showed on Monday,” he said.
Nataly Garcia said the family looks forward to introducing new items.
You can find the Arepa Loca tent between the Kerr Scott Building and the Dorton Arena.
