Page 17 - AHATA

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local Saturday 10 May 2025
Lessons from our elders:

Plants and fruits for medicinal use

(Oranjestad)—Though skin thoroughly and make arrowroot powder and
western medicine is now tea or warapa* with it. It is make a “shalup” (porridge)
widely used for common said that this tea can also for stomach pain or when
illnesses and to keep our be drank after an opera- you’re feeling weak. You
bodies healthy and happy, tion on the ovaries or uter- can make it with milk too,
it is still very common in us. This gets rid of irritation but it is advised to best
every household in Aruba and inflammation. use just water. You can
(and around the world) to also add prunes for a bit of
have staple home rem- When the fruit is unripe and sweetness. Arrowroot sha-
edies that is passed on green, this can be used to lup is also good to treat an
through generations. Here stimulate menstruation flow unhealthy gut or for diar-
are some tips that our el- in women. This also stimu- rhea.
ders have passed on to us lates the passing kidney
over the years. stones. When ripe, the fruit To make arrowroot shalup,
can be used for poisoning boil a bit of water and add
Pineapple in the gut and can help one tablespoon of arrow-
Pineapple has more uses treat rheumatic diseases, root powder and stir con-
than topping it on your like arthritis. tinuously until you reach
Christmas ham. According porridge consistency. If you
to elders, the skin of a pine- However, breastfeeding make a shalup with milk,
apple is great to use to re- women who cannot pro- add a pinch of salt. Raw
fresh your body. Clean the duce much milk are ad- arrowroot powder can be used to lower blood pres- tumors, abscesses and
vised not to consume too used to powder babies. sure, by steeping its leaves hemorrhoids. Eggplant kat-
pineapple, and people in boiled water and drink- aplan can also be used ex-
with acid reflux are recom- Eggplant/Aubergine ing it. You can also make ternally to treat arthritis.q
mended to not consume Eggplants, or aubergines, eggplant juice to help puri-
any pineapple at all. are easy to find in super- fy your blood. However, do *warapa: term referring to
markets around the world make sure to drink slowly; a water and sugar solution,
Arrowroot and can be grown all year let it mix with your spit and a.k.a simple syrup.
*kataplan: porridge-like
Arrowroot is native to tropi- round on the island. Relat- then swallow. mixture used externally for
cal America and can be ed to potato and tomato, wounds or parts of the body
sold as a powder or whole. eggplants are good to Eggplant kataplan* can that are painful or swollen.
It is said that you can take calm nerves. It can also be also be used to treat skin

Planning on snorkeling? Get to know our “Dorado”

(Oranjestad)—If you’re ever stay close or can keep the
planning on snorkeling dur- group interested by giving
ing your vacation on Aruba, shrimp or squid.
you may spot fish that you
can’t recognize. One of Description:
these may be the “Dorado”, Dorado has a distinctive
a common fish that swims body. It has a large tail and
all year long in the waters its long, flat body ends in a
of Aruba. Here’s some infor- large blunt head. Its color
mation about the beloved of yellow and green or blue
Dorado. makes it immediately rec-
ognizable, even with small
Dorado has many different variations in these colors.
names it can be referred to.
Dral, Dorao, Drals, Drado, are Dorado has clear differences
some of them in Papiamen- between adult females and
to. In English, it is also called males. The male is larger
Mahi Mahi, Dolphinfish, or Do- and can easily reach 50 to
rado. It's a good example to 80 pounds and has a much
reflect on why there can be flatter head compared to
many names. The same fish the female. Therefore, male
becomes known by different called Dolphinfish in Eng- catch and a fish that puts within 1 year but many be- Dorados are also called "bull
common names, why? Com- lish is not well defined and up a good fight. Its meat is come reproductive after just Dorado".
mon names come only when while there are several stories very good for consumption 5 or 6 months and reproduce
a group of people, to under- around this, none have been and it is also commercially very quickly too. Dorado can be found in our
stand each other, assign a confirmed. fished for that reason. They live in open water on waters around the island all
name to a fish. Mahi Mahi, Dorado is found in all tropi- the surface most of the time. year round, but there are
for example, comes from Ha- cal to subtropical oceans They grow very fast, up to Many fish seek them around periods when it is easier to
waii and means "very strong". around the world. Dorado 2.7 inches (almost 7 cm) sushi lines or floating objects find than others.q
Dorado is based on Spanish is very popular both for rec- per week. They can live up on the sea. Often you will find
and refers to the golden yel- reational fishing and for con- to a maximum of 5 years al- a group landing together Source: The Department of
low color that the fish shines sumption. It is known among though very few reach that and if you keep a male on Agriculture, Livestock, and
with under the sun. Why it's fishermen as an exciting age. Most become adults the line, often the others will Fisheries (Santa Rosa).