Page 10 - AHATA

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LOCAL Tuesday 3 december 2024

Food culture in Aruba

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

Prohibited by law: leaving the island with seashells, white sand or corals

(Oranjestad)—Often times, the customs depart- face a fine that they have to pay before leav-
ment at the airport intercepts many tourists leav- ing. This is surely not a pleasant experience for
ing the island with seashells, white sand and/or the tourist. This also leads to a negative reaction
corals as souvenirs. which can put our tourism in a negative light.
Though we love to accommodate our visitors,
Conforming to the international treaty of CITES let’s all give nature the respect it deserves by
and our local law which protects our Flora & protecting our environment. Stop collecting
Fauna, it is absolutely prohibited to take any seashells, white sand and corals from our shores
seashell, sand and coral outside of Aruba. This and stop buying or accepting these from local
is to protect our environment. The high number sellers or companies.
of seashells, coral and amount of sand confis-
cated is very strange and it is suspected that our We want our future generations and visitors to
own locals are the ones selling these to the tour- enjoy the beauty of our beaches, shells and cor-
ists, which is unacceptable. als in a sustainable way, without destroying or
disrupting the Aruban ecosystem. Help us pro-
Upon confiscation at the airport, you can also tect what is ours!q