Page 10 - AHATA

A8 LOCAL
Wednesday 30 July 2025

Dining in? Try making a local favorite

How to make “funchi hasa”

(Oranjestad)—A night in Add in some salt and butter ing, you can top it with
can be just as fun as a night to taste in the boiling wa- some cheese or enjoy it
out on the town, especially ter and let this dissolve and with your favorite dipping
if you got the right snacks to melt. Then, gradually add sauce.
munch on. One of the most the flour while stirring with a
famous Aruban snacks or wooden spoon. The mixture Note: We recommend the
appetizers is “funchi hasa” will start to begin to harden FUNCHI FRESKU polenta
(fried polenta sticks). A su- pretty fast, so be careful flour brand that is sold in all
per easy meal that adults not to add too much. At supermarkets on the island.
and children will both en- this phase of cooking, you You can also use yellow
joy. Here’s how to make it! want a goopy thick mix- corn flour from the brand
funchi for a quick and filling ture, but thin enough so it firms up for the last time. PAN.q
Before we start, get to know snack. you can continue to stir to Once it’s cooled you can
the basics get all the lumps out. enjoy it as is, topped with Photo credit of fried funchi
So what is funchi hasa? Ingredients (measured by some butter or shredded sticks: Jacqueline Felida on
Funchi, or Aruban polenta, heart) After reaching a semi-firm, cheese. Or, you can take Pinterest.
is a popular side dish for lo- 1. Polenta flour* yet flexible texture, grab a it to another level of deli-
cal dishes, like soups, stews 2. Water baking pan or any large, ciousness.
and fried fish. Made from a 3. Butter deep plate, and pour the
corn flour, water and butter 4. Salt to taste mixture in. Be sure that this When your funchi is firm
mixture, this appetizer is tra- plate is wet or greased so enough, cut it into strips
ditionally eaten alongside Directions that the mixture does not (size is up to you). Heat up
a warm meal. However, lo- Bring water to a boil in a stick to the bottom. Let some oil in a pan and fry
cals also like to fry sticks of medium-sized sauce pan. this cool completely while those babies up! After fry-

The Lionfish

And its threat to our marine wild life

(Oranjestad)—Despite its er types of waste on a reef,
colorful and striking ap- thus maintaining the reef’s
pearance, the lionfish has health and providing food
become a Caribbean- to the fish population in the
wide problem for Atlantic area. However, as the lion-
sea life. The Aruban marine fish feeds off of these tiny
wild life is also affected by fish, it becomes harder for
this beautiful dilemma, as it the coral reef to maintain
is foreign to our waters and its health.
has become a danger to predators in the Caribbean
our local fish and reefs. Sea. And this becomes a Patrick also shares the ori-
major problem for our lo- gins of lionfish in the Ca-
Originating from the Indo- cal marine life; if there are ribbean Sea. It is theorized
Pacific Ocean, the lionfish no predators to stimulate that the introduction of
is a relatively small fish. It population control of lion- these fish in the Atlan-
has no teeth, but it does fish, these fish can continue tic happened in Florida, were discovered in 2009. sembling a garbage picker
protect itself against pred- to reproduce and expand where people would buy li- with 4 sharp prongs. These
ators using its sharp, color- to other parts of the Atlan- onfish from across the world Controlling the lionfish spears are used like a sling
ful spikes. It is said that the tic, become more invasive to keep in their aquariums. population is challenge, as shot to catch lionfish from
sting of a lionfish can be up and dangerous for other However, lionfish grow, and each female fish can lay up a distance. These fish are
to 100 times more painful types of fish. as these buyers realized to 40,000 eggs a day. Luck- then put into a collecting
than that of a bee’s sting. that the fish were too much ily, we have people like van tube and taken out of the
For Aruba, the lionfish is a upkeep, they were let out Brakel who dedicate their water. Van Brakel not only
Its natural predators in the problem especially for our into the ocean to roam lives hunting and capturing catches them himself, but
Indo-Pacific are sharks and local coral reefs. According free. From continental USA, these invasive species, us- also cooks them for locals
barracudas, but in the Ca- to Patrick van Brakel, lion- the lionfish travelled to and ing them for consumption and tourists at The LionFish
ribbean Sea, local fish do fish expert and hunter from invaded the entire Carib- and jewelry making. Snack Aruba in Paradera.
not recognize the lionfish the Hunting Lionfish Aruba bean area, from Aruba, Bo- This way, he does his part
as part of their diet. In other foundation, every reef has naire and Curacao up to They are caught with a in protecting the local wild
words, the lionfish has no a “cleaning station”—tiny New York. In Aruba, lionfish hand spear, an object re-
fish that eat algae and oth- life. q