CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Freshly greased plantain leaves, a kitchen splattered with corn meal, and festive music accompanied by generous amounts of alcohol all make up one of Venezuela's most-enduring Christmas traditions: the gathering of family to prepare a corn dough tamale known as the hallaca.

But this year, the icon of the Venezuelan kitchen is under threat from the nation's grinding economic crisis. With inflation near a two-decade high of 54 percent, prices for many of the treat's trademark ingredients have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many family budgets. And just finding some of the fixings can be an ordeal, with everything from vegetable oil to beef hard to come by as government price controls discourage production and contribute to record levels of food shortages.

The Food Ministry insists that shoppers at state-run supermarkets need to spend no more than 13.19 bolivars per hallaca, or about $2 at the official exchange rate, to make a typical batch of 50. But shopping at such discount retailers can be trying: Lines are long, supplies are rationed and government-trained civilian militias patrol the aisles.

Meanwhile at private supermarkets, where the vast majority of Venezuelans shop, you'd need to spend nearly triple that amount to acquire all the ingredients. Ortiz said her family plans to continue the hallaca tradition, but the shortages and price hikes have drained much of the joy out of the season.

"We have to run around all over Caracas to find the list of ingredients," she said. "This is a nightmare."


Coming soon to a store near you?

Venezuelans have government run healthcare too.

Hope their Toilet-Tissue at least isn't rationed any longer!
Can't have that in a Socialist Worker's Paradise!

What do you think they do with the corn husk? Chinga tamales!

I actually consider that a blessing in disguise

as a Christian ,anyhow, I think Christmas has become about too many superficial things , like huge gluttonous meals and gifts,,,,,,


for those who still make Christmas about Christ, all that is really necessary is God, family, and love and gratitude

and love of God and family