A heated and longstanding rivalry simmers between neighbors Colombia and Venezuela — not over politics, migration or even soccertongits go, but over the humble arepa.

The round cornbread delight, a staple of both South American countries, appears everywhere from breakfast plates to late-night snacks, woven deeply into the fabric of each nation. Ingrained into everyday slang and popular culture, the arepa is much more than a meal.

But ask a Colombian or a Venezuelan who does it best — or where it originated — and you’ll find yourself caught in a culinary clash that transcends borders.

“Everyone defends their territory,” said Gustavo Zapata, 39, a chef at the Sancho Paisa restaurant chain, which is known for its traditional Colombian arepas in Medellín, the country’s second largest city.

The arepa debate mirrors other food fights around the world. Peruvians and Ecuadoreans argue over ceviche. Israelis and Lebanese have wrestled over hummus. Multiple Northern African countries lay claim to couscous. Australians and New Zealanders have feuded over pavlova, a meringue-based dessert topped with fruit.

But culinary disputes also have serious undertones. President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, for example, has tried to use arepas as a nationalist rallying point, if not a political tool, claiming the food is from his country alone. And as millions of Venezuelans have migrated over the years because of the country’s economic and political crisis, they have brought their version with them around the globe, further stoking the great arepa battle.

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