Tequeño

Tequeño is a fried breaded cheese stick or a spear of bread dough with queso blanco (fresh cheese) stuffed in the middle, and is a popular meal or snack in Venezuela. To prepare it, the dough is wrapped around a cheesestick and formed into a breadstick so it can be fried in oil or sometimes oven-baked. Tequeños can be eaten for breakfast, as a side appetizer, or as a snack food at parties and weddings. On April 21, 2023, it was declared a cultural heritage of Venezuela.

The snack is named after Los Teques after being invented in the kitchen of one of the wealthy families living there.

Variations
Many different recipes for tequeños can be found online. Tequeños can be made with different varieties of cheese, and even with sweet fillings like chocolate or guava although salty white cheeses are the most popular. Tequeños, made with different wraps, have become very popular in other regions within Latin America because of how easy they are to make. They have also become increasingly popular in Spain.