Page 11 - AHATA

A7
LOCAL Saturday 6 September 2025
A quick snack for the road

Learn how to make the Aruban Pastechi!

(Oranjestad)—If you ever Here’s how to make the • 1 tbsp sugar
been to Aruba before, you Pastechi dough. • 0.5 cup of melted butter
probably heard of (and even • 1 cup water
tried) the Aruban Pastechi. Ingredients: • 1 egg
Beloved by young and old, • 4 cups of wheat flour dough into approximately ready for the fryer!
this tasty treat is a staple for • 1 tbsp baking powder (if Directions: 100 gram balls and roll it flat If you want to store some
party snacks, a quick lunch using self-rising flour, omit Sift your flour into a bowl and with a rolling pin. The thick- pastechis for later use, you
or even breakfast! baking powder) add all the dry ingredients ness of the pastechi de- can freeze them. A good tip
• 1 tsp salt before giving it a quick mix. pends on your taste, but the is to place a piece of wax pa-
Next add the butter, water average thinness would be per in between each paste-
The Bali Restaurant: and egg and mix until thor- around ¼ inch or so. chi if you are to store them on
oughly combined. At this Filling for the pastechis varies top of one another. This way
a touristic hot spot and lost point, your dough will start according to your taste. The the pastechis don’t stick to
to get sticky; time for an arm easiest and most common each other when defrosting.
gem on the island workout. Knead your dough filling you’ll find in Aruba is Here in Aruba we enjoy
into the bowl you are using or a simple cheese filling. For pastechi at any time of the
on a clean surface with some this, we usually use shredded day, but it has become al-
flour lightly dusted until its sur- Gouda, but feel free to use most tradition to eat pastech-
face is smooth. You’ll know any cheese that melts well is for breakfast on the way to
your dough is ready when it when frying the pastry. work. Many roadside snack
doesn’t stick to your hands or Place the filling on your rolled trucks sell pastechi from early
the surface on which you’re out piece of dough, fold it in morning to noon, and offer a
kneading it. Let your dough half and pinch the sides shut variety of fillings like cheese;
rest covered for 15-20 min- with a fork. If you have a fold- ham and cheese; ground
utes. ing tool, feel free to use it for beef and pulled chicken to
After resting, divide your this process. Your pastechi is name a few.q
(Oranjestad)—Once located in the year 1970—still under
in what is now the Renais- the ownership of Schmand,
sance Marina, the Bali Res- when it got its iconic pointy
taurant was once both a tour- roofs. The restaurant was also
istic and local hot spot, and expanded to host a total of
nowadays it’s considered a 85 guests. This was “The New
forgotten gem on the island. Bali”, who had its official (re)
opening in 1972.
Known as “the floating res- After 1972, when Ronny
taurant”, Bali first opened in Schmand took over, the res-
1955 by Willem “Bill” Strijland, taurant saw yet another ex-
who had experience in Ja- pansion; this time complete
vanese cuisine. At the time, with a long bar and dance
the restaurant was pretty ex- floor, where guests enjoyed
clusive—with space to host live music from legendary
only 25 guests. Yet, 4 years Aruban musician and com-
later, it was named the best poser, Toti Arends.
restaurant in the Caribbean
by the Caribbean Tourist As- After 1989, the restaurant
sociation. was again handed over to
other owners, and since then
The restaurant was probably suffered from unstable pillars
most iconic for its Javanese- underneath the foundation,
inspired exterior with its resulting in various leaks and
pointy, slanted roofs. How- overflowing of water into the
ever, the first version of Bali restaurant. And as most great
did not look like that at all but things come to an end, so
was still considered as one of did the survival and mainte-
the most popular restaurants nance of the Bali Restaurant.
on the island at the time. The However, folks today still remi-
restaurant saw three different nisce its legacy, and it’s now
owners during its existence, considered a lost monument.
during which it underwent
various renovations and re- Be apart of the conversation:
branding. if you or any family member
of yours have a memory of
In 1964, the restaurant was the Bali restaurant, whether
taken over by Karel “Carl” it be a picture or just a story,
Schmand. Over the years, share it with us! We would
the restaurant needed love to see this legendary
constant renovation and hot spot through the lens of
repair, mainly due to its vul- our visitors!q
nerability to leaks and the
unstable pillars underneath Source and pictures credit to:
the foundation. However, “De Kolibrie op de Rots (en
the biggest change made meer over de geschiedenis
to the restaurant happened van Aruba)” by Evert Bongers.