MIAMI, June 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As part of the marketing campaign by the international division of Alimentos Polar in the U.S., P.A.N. corn meal announced a strategic alliance with renowned chef, restaurateur and philanthropist with Venezuelan roots Lorena Garcia.

The announcement is the beginning of a series of initiatives designed to inspire American foodies to try the brand, make it a pantry staple and increase the popularity of P.A.N. in Latin America and the United States.

“Lorena will inspire consumers to cook with P.A.N.,” said Pablo Baraybar, Director of International Business for Empresas Polar. “Her influence on Latin cuisine in the United States cannot be understated and her passion for our product will highlight that P.A.N. is a must-have for foodies whether they want to make a dish like arepas or a homemade favorite like cornbread.”

P.A.N. corn meal offers an international portfolio comprised of three varieties: pre-cooked yellow corn meal, pre-cooked white corn meal and sweet corn mix. The yellow and white corn varieties are 100 percent gluten free. P.A.N. is a versatile product that can be used as a substitute for flour in both sweet and savory recipes.

Traditionally, P.A.N. is used to make Venezuelan arepas and is very practical and unique since when mixed with water and salt, the mixture instantly creates a dough.

“My relationship with P.A.N. goes all the way back to my childhood,” said Chef Lorena. “It’s extremely gratifying for me to be able to introduce American consumers to a brand that is a big part of my culture and culinary traditions. I can’t wait to show them all the delicious recipes they can create with P.A.N.”

The brand is also tapping influencers via cooperation with blogger communities like Influence Central and Kin Community to create content incorporating P.A.N. as an ingredient for delicious traditional recipes or to make American favorites like corn dogs and hush puppies. Online influencers are recreating their favorite recipes and cooking up new ones to share with their followers using the #PANfan hashtag.

Foodies can begin their culinary exploration online by visiting the newly launched P.A.N. Tumblr and Pinterest pages where they will find these and many other creative and tasty recipes.

For more information on P.A.N., go to www.panrecipes.tumblr.com or www.pancorn.com

About Chef Lorena Garcia
Venezuelan-born restaurateur, philanthropist, TV personality, producer and published author, Lorena Garcia is currently one of the country’s leading chefs. She has appeared in numerous TV series, owns a successful chain of restaurants and has written several books. On the heels of the success of her first cookbook, Lorena Garcia’s New Latin Classics, Garcia has taken her love of cooking to the next level by creating the Lorena Bella Kitchen Collection for HSN.