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local Thursday 29 June 2023
Aruban snacks and where to find them

all over the island, includ-
ing on the side of the main
road that stretches from San
Nicolas to the Hotel Area.
You can also find pastechis
and krokets at local baker-
ies and snack shops, like
Bright Bakery in Piedra Plat,
Huchada in Santa Cruz or
Pastechi House in the city
center. These places may
also sell other snacks and the main road). 2. Along the main road
sandwiches too, perfect for next to the airport field.
on-the-road lunch break. If you are looking for some- 3. At the California Light
While you’re at it, why not thing a bit more fresh and House.
ORANJESTAD — Want to is filled with cheese, meat, accompany your snack healthy, why not try some 4. At the Alto Vista Chapel.
taste something different chicken, veggies and some- with a refreshing “batido”? coconuts, or shaved ice
for a change? How about times even fish! Or perhaps Batidos are fruit shakes, from local vendors? These These vendors may also sell
some Aruban snacks that you might want to try a typically made with added vendors carry their little shop other delights, like the be-
you can find all around the croquette, locally called a milk for some creaminess. at the back of their truck, loved coconut-based des-
island? Hop in your car, and “kroket,” which is a crusty However, you can also ask so they are ever-moving sert “cocada” or peanuts.
go to these locations to find fried snack with typically a to hold the milk. Batidos are around the island. However, All in all, in Aruba, you can
some of the most popular meat and dough mix filling. commonly found in snack there are a few spots where always find some place to
and tasty snacks that are The Aruban kroket is based shops too. You may find you can almost always find take a break and have a
beloved by our locals. on its Dutch counterpart, some batido shops next the a coconut/shaved ice ven- bite of something local, you
the “bitterbal”. flee markets downtown, or dor: maybe just might have to
One of the staples of Aru- if you’re on your way to San 1. Right next to the Red look for them!q
ban cuisine and snacks is These two snacks are typi- Nicolas, at Mauchi Smooth- Anchor in San Nicolas,
the Pastechi. Pastechi is a cally found in all local snack ies and Juice Bar in Sava- on the way to Baby Photo credit: wheninaruba.com
Caribbean fried pastry that trucks, which can be found neta (located at the side of Beach.

Food culture in Aruba

(Oranjestad) - Like many other cul- Stews are a staple in Aruban cuisine
tures, an important aspect of the and can are largely influenced by
Aruban cultural identity is our con- Latin-American and Latin/Afro-Ca-
nection to food and food traditions. ribbean Stews. Some of the more
The local food traditions consist of a unique stews and soups from the
melting pot of different cultural and ABC Islands* include sopi di bonchi
religious eating habits and dishes. cora (red kidney bean soup with pig
tail), sopi mondongo (tripe soup),
Breakfast, lunch and dinner carni stoba (beef stew), comcomb-
The routine of breakfast, lunch and er stoba (West Indian gherkin stew)
dinner on the island is one that does and much more.
not completely follow a European
or American routine, despite the Dinner Time
major influences from these parts of Dinner time can vary significantly
the world on our culture and way of from household to household. Un-
living. When it comes to the three like the U.S. or in Europe, dinner time
important meals of the day, most typically does not consist of a whole
of the Aruban population follows a (warm) meal. Instead, the evening other items. Traditional drinks in- the area of Tanki Leendert and Tan-
Latin-American influenced routine. “meal” can typically consist of clude ponche crema (Aruban egg- ki flip, for example, there are many
something lighter, like a sandwich, nog), chuculati pinda (hot choco- of these trucks parked on the side of
Breakfast though it is not uncommon to see late with peanut butter), and home- the road and often open until late
Breakfast in Aruba is quite simple: a leftovers from the main meal re- made fruit punch. Desserts include, at night—offering tasty and filling
cup of coffee or tea, some bread, heated and eaten again. Tea and bolo di pistachio (pistachio cake), snacks post night-life fun.
and sometimes an egg. Sometimes, coffee are often also served with bolo di cashupete (cashew cake),
due to the need of a quick “to-go” the evening snack. quesillo (flan), bolo preto (dark fruit *ABC Islands: Aruba, Bonaire and
breakfast, you may also find many cake), drigidek (gingerbread), pan Curacao
snack trucks and cafes that sell (Religious) Holidays boyo (bread cake) and more. *Pan di ham: Derived from the Ven-
sandwiches, pastechis (meat pie), Christmas is probably the biggest ezuelan Pan de Jamon (rolled up
arepas and empanadas early in global holiday, and every culture Snacks and tasty delights bread with ham, raisins and olives)
the morning. has its own spin on what their Christ- Besides meals and dishes that are *Saco: Saco literally means “bag”.
mas cuisine entails. In Aruba, our eaten on the dinner table, Aruba Saco contains fried potatoes, plan-
Main Meal Christmas cuisine is again largely also has a food tradition that in- tains, chicken (and ribs) and a John-
The main meal is typically eaten in based on Latin-American influ- cludes snacks and other tasty ny cake, served in a paper bag.
most households around noon or ences, most notably form Venezu- delights that you may easily find
in the afternoon. This can consist of ela. Ayacas and the famous pan di around the island. These include, Source: Voeding, voedingsge-
meat, fish, and chicken—stewed ham* are two crucial holiday dish- Saco*, basket, pastechi, kroket, woonten en gerechten op Aruba
or fried—with funchi (polenta) or es, along with stuffed turkey, roast- deditos, Johnny cake and more. (Nutrition, Food Traditions and Dish-
rice with stewed vegetables. Of- ed glazed ham topped with pine- These snacks are usually sold at lo- es on Aruba) by Biblioteca Nacio-
ten, fried or boiled plantain or pan apples, arroz con pollo (rice and cal snack trucks and cafes, often nal Aruba q
bati (Aruban pancake) is included. chicken) and potato salad, among located on the side of the road. In