Page 15 - HOH

Friday 4 april 2025 locAl
A10

Dining in? Try making a local favorite

How to make “funchi hasa”

Directions
Bring water to a boil in a medium-
sized sauce pan. Add in some salt
and butter to taste in the boiling
water and let this dissolve and
melt. Then, gradually add the flour
while stirring with a wooden spoon.
The mixture will start to begin to
harden pretty fast, so be careful
not to add too much. At this phase
of cooking, you want a goopy
thick mixture, but thin enough so
you can continue to stir to get all
the lumps out.

After reaching a semi-firm, yet flex-
ible texture, grab a baking pan or
any large, deep plate, and pour
the mixture in. Be sure that this
(Oranjestad)—A night in can be stews and fried fish. Made from a plate is wet or greased so that the
just as fun as a night out on the corn flour, water and butter mix- mixture does not stick to the bot-
town, especially if you got the right ture, this appetizer is traditionally tom. Let this cool completely while
snacks to munch on. One of the eaten alongside a warm meal. it firms up for the last time. Once
most famous Aruban snacks or ap- However, locals also like to fry it’s cooled you can enjoy it as is, sauce.
petizers is “funchi hasa” (fried po- sticks of funchi for a quick and fill- topped with some butter or shred-
lenta sticks). A super easy meal ing snack. ded cheese. Or, you can take it to Note: We recommend the FUNCHI
that adults and children will both another level of deliciousness. FRESKU polenta flour brand that is
enjoy. Here’s how to make it! Ingredients (measured by heart) sold in all supermarkets on the is-
1. Polenta flour* When your funchi is firm enough, land. You can also use yellow corn
Before we start, get to know the 2. Water cut it into strips (size is up to you). flour from the brand PAN.q
basics 3. Butter Heat up some oil in a pan and fry
So what is funchi hasa? Funchi, or 4. Salt to taste those babies up! After frying, you Photo credit of fried funchi sticks: Jac-
Aruban polenta, is a popular side can top it with some cheese or queline Felida on Pinterest.
dish for local dishes, like soups, enjoy it with your favorite dipping

Planning on snorkeling? Get to know our Picuda!

(Oranjestad)—If you’re ever plan- piamento, which the Department "ambush predator" that stays still ver in color with shiny black stripes.
ning on snorkeling during your va- of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisher- or floats in the water waiting for Below, that is, the belly, is whiter,
cation on Aruba, you may spot fish ies, known as “Santa Rosa”, wants its prey to approach so it can at- while the top part is darker. Its snout
that you can’t recognize. One of to share and also obtain informa- tack it with lightning speed. It is well is very pointed, and the lower jaw
these may be the “Picuda”, a very tion from the public. known for fishermen, especially for is longer than the upper one. Its
common fish that swims all year its white flesh in fish soup. In fish- peduncle, where the body meets
long in the waters of Aruba. Here’s Picuda, Sphyraena barracuda, ing culture, there are many other the tail, is thick, while the tail also
some information about the be- Greater Barracuda names, such as Pecho blanco, Ble- forms a crescent but in this case
loved Picuda. Well known is the Picuda on the kito, Banana, or Bleki. The names one more "full" than that of mullet
island—Barracuda in English. Its vary according to size. or conefish. This reflects the hunting
Let's talk about the names of fish. scientific name is Sphyraena bar- style of the Picuda. It needs to be
Do you know your fish? This is an racuda. It is a widely caught fish. Description able to accelerate quickly when
informative article that illustrate It is found throughout the year in The Picuda is a long fish, with a the prey gets close.
some fish and their names in Pa- our waters, where it is a so-called round body like a torpedo and sil-
In Aruba:
Picuda can be found in our waters
around our island throughout the
year. Picuda, in our waters, is ed-
ible without any problem. Picuda
is also a highly sought-after fish by
sports fishermen or recreational
fishermen because it puts up a
good fight once hooked. It can
be caught via trolling from a boat,
casting from shore with a line or
rod, or by jigging, casting the lure
(artificial bait) and moving it with
certain rod motions.q

Picture courtesy of the Department of
Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.