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Monday 4 deceMber 2023 locAl
A10

Food culture in Aruba

follows a Latin-American in-
fluenced routine.

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