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                                                                                                           LOCAL Friday 24 May 2024































            Food culture in Aruba



            (Oranjestad)  -  Like  many  a  staple  in  Aruban  cuisine  ban  eggnog),  chuculati
            other  cultures,  an  impor-  and  can  are  largely  influ-  pinda  (hot  chocolate  with
            tant  aspect  of  the  Aruban  enced  by  Latin-American  peanut butter), and home-
            cultural identity is our con-  and  Latin/Afro-Caribbean  made fruit punch. Desserts
            nection  to  food  and  food  Stews.  Some  of  the  more  include,  bolo  di  pistachio
            traditions.  The  local  food  unique  stews  and  soups  (pistachio  cake),  bolo  di
            traditions consist of a melt-  from  the  ABC  Islands*  in-  cashupete (cashew cake),
            ing pot of different cultural  clude  sopi  di  bonchi  cora  quesillo  (flan),  bolo  preto
            and religious eating habits  (red kidney bean soup with  (dark  fruit  cake),  drigidek
            and dishes.                  pig  tail),  sopi  mondongo  (gingerbread),  pan  boyo
                                         (tripe  soup),  carni  stoba  (bread cake) and more.
            Breakfast, lunch and dinner  (beef  stew),  comcomber
            The  routine  of  breakfast,  stoba (West Indian gherkin   Snacks and tasty delights
            lunch  and  dinner  on  the  stew) and much more.         Besides  meals  and  dishes
            island is one that does not                               that are eaten on the din-
            completely  follow  a  Euro-         Dinner Time          ner table, Aruba also has a
            pean or American routine,  Dinner time can vary signifi-  food tradition that includes
            despite  the  major  influ-  cantly  from  household  to  snacks and other tasty de-
            ences  from  these  parts  of  household.  Unlike  the  U.S.  lights  that  you  may  eas-
            the  world  on  our  culture  or  in  Europe,  dinner  time  ily  find  around  the  island.
            and  way  of  living.  When  it  typically  does  not  consist  These  include,  Saco*,  bas-
            comes to the three impor-    of a whole (warm) meal. In-  ket, pastechi, kroket, dedi-
            tant meals of the day, most  stead, the evening “meal”  tos, Johnny cake and more.
            of  the  Aruban  population  can  typically  consist  of  These  snacks  are  usually
            follows a Latin-American in-  something  lighter,  like  a  sold  at  local  snack  trucks
            fluenced routine.            sandwich,  though  it  is  not  and  cafes,  often  located
                                         uncommon to see leftovers  on the side of the road. In
                     Breakfast           from the main meal reheat-   the area of Tanki Leendert
            Breakfast  in  Aruba  is  quite  ed  and  eaten  again.  Tea  and Tanki flip, for example,
            simple:  a  cup  of  coffee  and  coffee  are  often  also  there  are  many  of  these
            or  tea,  some  bread,  and  served  with  the  evening  trucks  parked  on  the  side
            sometimes  an  egg.  Some-   snack.                       of the road and often open
            times,  due  to  the  need  of                            until late at night—offering
            a  quick  “to-go”  breakfast,    (Religious) Holidays     tasty and filling snacks post
            you  may  also  find  many  Christmas  is  probably  the  night-life fun. q
            snack trucks and cafes that  biggest global holiday, and
            sell  sandwiches,  pastechis  every  culture  has  its  own   *ABC Islands: Aruba, Bonaire
            (meat  pie),  arepas  and  spin on what their Christmas                  and Curacao
            empanadas  early  in  the  cuisine entails. In Aruba, our   *Pan di ham: Derived from the
                                                                         Venezuelan Pan de Jamon
            morning.                     Christmas  cuisine  is  again   (rolled up bread with ham,
                                         largely  based  on  Latin-              raisins and olives)
                    Main Meal            American  influences,  most     *Saco: Saco literally means
            The  main  meal  is  typically  notably  form  Venezuela.    “bag”. Saco contains fried
            eaten  in  most  households  Ayacas  and  the  famous       potatoes, plantains, chicken
            around  noon  or  in  the  af-  pan  di  ham*  are  two  cru-  (and ribs) and a Johnny cake,
            ternoon. This can consist of  cial  holiday  dishes,  along     served in a paper bag.
            meat,  fish,  and  chicken—  with stuffed turkey, roasted   Source: Voeding, voedings-
            stewed  or  fried—with  fun-  glazed  ham  topped  with    gewoonten en gerechten op
            chi  (polenta)  or  rice  with  pineapples, arroz con pollo   Aruba (Nutrition, Food Tradi-
            stewed  vegetables.  Often,  (rice and chicken) and po-   tions and Dishes on Aruba) by
            fried  or  boiled  plantain  tato  salad,  among  other      Biblioteca Nacional Aruba
            or  pan  bati  (Aruban  pan-  items.  Traditional  drinks  in-
            cake) is included. Stews are  clude ponche crema (Aru-
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