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Thursday 23 OcTOber 2025 locAl
A10

Food culture in Aruba

include, bolo di pistachio
(pistachio cake), bolo di
cashupete (cashew cake),
quesillo (flan), bolo preto
(dark fruit cake), drigidek
(gingerbread), pan boyo
(bread cake) and more.

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

Aruba to me

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