Cheese Stuffed Arepas on Tea House Tray

Golden-brown arepas rest on a white ceramic tray, their surfaces textured with slight irregularities from handmade dough. Thick slices of melted cheese spill from the center of each round cake, glistening under soft, indirect light that bounces off pale walls. The tray sits on a polished wooden surface in a Keelung tea house during midsummer. Small, sharp highlights reflect off the room's quiet surfaces. The tray occupies a field of negative space, showing the humble, intimate nature of the food. Subtle shadows define the curve of the bread and the fluid shape of the cheese, while the warm tones of the corn contrast with the cool, neutral background. A thin layer of oil sheens across the top of the nearest arepa.