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LOCAL Thursday 3 July 2025

Aruba to me

ORANJESTAD — You are back and we Last but not least: check out our website,
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Complete the sentence: Aruba to me is For today we received a lovely message
……. Send your picture with that text (in- from Lynette Burns.
cluding your name and where you are
from) to: news@arubatoday.com and we She wrote to us saying: “Aruba to me is visit-
will publish your vacation memory. Isn’t ing every year to go fishing with our friends
that a special way to keep your best mo- on the Lucky Star. Brian caught a mahi
ments alive? Please do note: By submitting mahi and a HUGE Bonita. Colin caught
photos, text or any other materials, you a massive wahoo! And Brian Sr caught a
give permission to The Aruba Today News- delicious looking mahi mahi.”
paper, Caribbean Speed Printers and any
of its affiliated companies to use said ma- Thank you for sending us this wonderful
terials, as well as names, likeness, etc. for message sharing what Aruba means to
promotional purposes without compensa- you with us and our readers!q
tion.

Food culture in Aruba

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