Page 12 - AHATA

A9
LOCAL Wednesday 26 February 2025

A quick snack for the road: Learn how to make the Aruban Pastechi!

(Oranjestad)—If you ever been your dough will start to get sticky;
to Aruba before, you probably time for an arm workout. Knead
heard of (and even tried) the Aru- your dough into the bowl you are
ban Pastechi. Beloved by young using or on a clean surface with
and old, this tasty treat is a staple some flour lightly dusted until its
for party snacks, a quick lunch or surface is smooth. You'll know your
even breakfast! dough is ready when it doesn’t
stick to your hands or the surface
Here’s how to make the Pastechi on which you’re kneading it. Let
dough. your dough rest covered for 15-20
minutes.
Ingredients:
4 cups of wheat flour After resting, divide your dough
1 tbsp baking powder (if using self- into approximately 100 gram balls
rising flour, omit baking powder) and roll it flat with a rolling pin. The Place the filling on your rolled out pastechis don’t stick to each other
1 tsp salt thickness of the pastechi depends piece of dough, fold it in half and when defrosting.
1 tbsp sugar on your taste, but the average thin- pinch the sides shut with a fork. If

0.5 cup of melted butter ness would be around ¼ inch or so. you have a folding tool, feel free to Here in Aruba we enjoy pastechi at
1 cup water use it for this process. Your pastechi any time of the day, but it has be-
1 egg Filling for the pastechis varies ac- is ready for the fryer! come almost tradition to eat paste-
cording to your taste. The easiest chis for breakfast on the way to
Directions: and most common filling you’ll find If you want to store some pastechis work. Many roadside snack trucks
Sift your flour into a bowl and add in Aruba is a simple cheese filling. for later use, you can freeze them. sell pastechi from early morning
all the dry ingredients before giving For this, we usually use shredded A good tip is to place a piece to noon, and offer a variety of fill-
it a quick mix. Next add the butter, Gouda, but feel free to use any of wax paper in between each ings like cheese; ham and cheese;
water and egg and mix until thor- cheese that melts well when frying pastechi if you are to store them ground beef and pulled chicken to
oughly combined. At this point, the pastry. on top of one another. This way the name a few.q

Visit the island’s hidden natural pools

(Oranjestad)—Amongst the count- chase a day pass, and receive a you can climb up the rocks and When you get there, maybe you
less beaches surrounding the is- wristband as proof of payment. jump in! won’t be able to spot the pool im-
land that are well-known and fre- Once you’ve completed that, you mediately, because you will prob-
quently visited, there are an addi- are set! Cave Pool ably notice the moon-shaped la-
tional two “hidden” natural pools This relatively new pool appeared goon where wild northern waves
that are situated in the northern If you decide to hike from the en- just a few years ago, when a part crash into each other. Sounds
coast of the island, two ideal stops trance of the Arikok National Park, of the dried up coral floor broke off scary, but if you look down on
in your tour itinerary. this is also possible: do bring plenty and created a partition between your right, you’ll see a calm, crys-
of protective clothing and enough the ocean and what is now the tal blue little pool in the corner. To
Conchi (Natural Pool) water and food—it could take you natural pool that is hidden there. get there, you have to climb down
For many years, Conchi was the up to three hours to hike there! Because it’s still so new, there is no some stairs. Be careful when climb-
only natural pool that we had on official name for it, but most peo- ing down and follow the instruc-
the island. Located in the Arikok However, when you eventually do ple just call it the cave pool. tions of your tour guide if you have
National Park, near Boca Keto get there, you will be greeted with one.
and the Daimari Ranch, Conchi— crystal blue water surrounded by Just like the Conchi, the new natu-
also known “Cura di Turtuga (Tur- a natural rock formation that pro- ral pool is situated on the northern And just like Conchi, this pool also
tle’s Cove) or just Natural Pool—is tects you from the wild waves on coast of Aruba. However, this pool has a jumping spot, and a rope to
reachable with any 4x4 vehicle or the other side. Though the pool is much easier to reach with any climb back up the boulder.
by foot if you’re up for a long hike. is located on the northern side of type of vehicle, and there is no hik-
However, since it is part of the Na- the island (where the sea is largely ing needed. This spot has also be- Picture of cave pool is credited to
tional Park, you must first get per- rough and largely no suitable for come a regular stop for touring visi- RockaBeach Tours
mission from park management swimming), the pool itself is very tors.
to enter. You would have to pur- calm. It’s also relatively deep, and