Tequeño
| Type | Bread |
|---|---|
| Course | Snack |
| Place of origin | Venezuela |
| Region or state | Los Teques |
| Main ingredients | Bread dough, masa de harina de trigo, queso blanco |
Tequeño is a fried spear of wheat dough stuffed with semi-hard queso blanco (white cheese), and is a popular meal or snack in Venezuela. To prepare it, the dough is wrapped around a cheesestick, formed into a breadstick and then fried or sometimes oven-baked. Tequeños can be eaten for breakfast, as an appetizer, or as a snack at parties and weddings. 21 October is the International Tequeño Day, and it was declared a cultural heritage of Venezuela on 20 April 2023.
Due to the influx of Venezuelan immigrants into their countries over the past few years, it has become increasingly popular in Spain and Argentina, among other countries.
On 21 October 2023, in Los Teques, a tequeño of 15.3 m (50.2 ft) was made to commemorate the city's 246th anniversary, beating the previous Guinness World Record of 5 m (16.4 ft). The dish required a 18 m fryer and 32 kitchen assistants to prepare it.