| 摘要 |
Machines are disclosed for making arepas from corn flour dough which is then formed into arepas in a cavity situated between abutting, opposing forming members. The cavity, when the forming members are closed with dough occupying the cavity, is of predetermined dimensions, is substantially circular in the plane where said members abut, is substantially bilaterally symmetrical with reference both to said plane and the central axis of that circular portion, and, axially from that plane, is of progressively increasing thickness dimension proceeding from said edge of said circle toward that axis. The forming members are then moved apart from each other by a distance at least equal to the axial dimension of the cavity and the arepa preform is disassociated from the forming members and its entire outer surface, but not its interior, is cooked using primarily radiant and/or convective heat, but not conductive heat to any significant extent. In some embodiments, to form the arepa from dough, the dough is extruded directly into the cavity while the forming members are already abutting each other. In others, the dough is extruded through an orifice, a preform plug of dough is severed from the extrusion, the cavity portion of one of the forming members is pressed down against the preform plug while it sits on a distensible surface, such as a rubber belt, where it is backed by a backing member having a circular central void corresponding in location and peripheral diameter and shape to that of the first forming member.
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