Receta
E HISTORIA DI ARUBA SU HERENCIA CULINARIO
Un biahe di sobrevivencia, sabor y orguyo
Un bista intimo riba e hendenan, tradicionnan y sabornan cu a forma e cushina di Aruba a traves di siglonan.
For di Lama y Piedra: e prome sabornan di Aruba
Hopi tempo prome cu Aruba tabatin nomber, hendenan a yega na su costanan buscando bida y balansa entre lama y tera.
Rond di 1450 prome cu Cristo, e prome habitantenan di e isla a establece nan mes cerca di Spaans Lagoen y Rooi Bringamosa. Nan tabata biba den harmonia cu nan alrededor. Piscando calco, turtuga y pisca di rif, coleccionando cocolishi, y cultivando yuca, maishi, cocoyam y e mata di maranguey cu awor a disparce.
Restonan arkeologico ta mustra cu nan tabata hasa y horna nan cuminda riba planchinan di piedra plat, creando pannan plat di maishi y yuca di antes. E cumindanan aki tabata pa nutricion y sobrevivencia, pero tambe conexion spiritual: cuminda como un forma di gradicimento na tera y lama pa e regalo di bida.
Yegada di Spañonan: bestia, ausencia y adaptacion
Na 1499 e Spañonan a yega. Nan contacto tabata cortico pero transformativo.
Pa 1515 mayoria di e habitantenan indigena di Aruba a wordo deporta pa Hispaniola pa traha como trahador forsa. Nan a laga un isla casi bashi di hende, pero yena di posibilidad.
E Spañonan a laga cabritonan y buriconan liber riba e isla, hunto cu simiya y palo di fruta cu a saca reis den e tera seco. E bestianan aki, resistente y adaptabtel, a bira un parti permanente di e paisahe di Aruba y e base di su cushina crioyo. E mescla trempan di cultivonan indigena y bestia Spaño a forma loke eventualmente a bira e cushina Arubano: simpel, ingenioso y naci for di e necesidad pa sobrevivi.
Raiz Africano: resiliencia den wea
Ora e Hulandesnan a tuma posesion den siglo 17, africanonan sclavisa join famianan indigena y mestiso riba e isla. Aunke nan cantidad tabata menos compara cu riba e islanan di plantacion, nan influencia tabata profundo.
E Africano a trece un conocemento profundo di sabor, preservacion y transformacion.
Nan tabata traha sopi y stoba for di pisca sala y pida carni duro, y a cushina cu yambo (okra) of hariña di maishi. For di pobresa y scarcedad a nace creatividad: e origen di e stobanan y sopinan stima Arubano, cushina poco poco, comparti den comunidad, y sasona cu resiliencia.
E Cushina Hulandes y Crioyo: caminda culturanan a topa
Durante siglo 18 y 19, Aruba a bira un isla hulandes di bestia — un veeplantage unda cabrito, baca y burico tabata come liber den mondi. E hendenan cu tabata biba aki, descendiente di Indigena, Africano y Europeo, a crea un cushina distintamente Arubano.
Stoba di cabrito a bira un plato nacional, suavisa cu papaya berde. Comcomber stoba, funchi y pan bati tabata plato di tur dia. Riba mesanan festivo, e influencia Venezolano tabata briya door di ayaca, un plato di Pasco lora den foyo di banana, banda di e bolo preto traha cu rom y otro licornan cu te awe ta forma parti di e fiestanan di fin di aña.
Aruba su cushina crioyo nunca tabata statico. El a evoluciona den man di e hende muher cu a cushina den cushina pafo, mesclando tecnicanan, ingredientenan y amor den algo completamente di nan mes.
E Bientonan di Comercio: puentenan di sabor
Pa siglos, bientonan comercial a trece hopi mas cu barco; nan a trece sabor. Aruba nunca a keda isola. Cunukeronan tabata haci comercio cu Venezuela pa maishi, banana, y koffie. Contrabandistanan tabata intercambia carni seco y cuero pa hariña y rom.
Migrantenan Chines a habri bodeganan chikito y restaurantnan, introduciendo fried rice y bami na e mesa Arubano. Nabegantenan tabata trece curry y specerij for di Asia y Caribe. Y semper e lama a keda generoso. E plato mas duradero di e isla, pisca hasa cu funchi, ta corda nos cu lama semper a alimenta e curason di Aruba.
Mosaico di Lago: cuarenta nacion, un mesa
Siglo 20 a cambia Aruba cu velocidad. E apertura di Lago Oil & Transport Company na 1924 a converti e isla den crusada mundial. Miles di hende a yega for di Caribe, America, Europa y Asia, cada un cu su propio sabor.
Trinitarionan a trece pelau y roti. Migrantenan Surnam y Hulandes a popularisa sate cu sauce di pinda. Cokinan Chines a agrega stir-fry, Libanesnan a comparti kibbeh y hummus, Portuguesnan a trece pan dushi, y Mericanonan a trece apple pie y barbecue.
Den San Nicolas, cuminda a bira un idioma comun. Na ora di lunch, trahadornan di e refineria for di cuarenta nacion tabata come hunto, intercambiando cuminda, historia y cantica. Aruba a bira literalmente un ‘melting pot’ y su cushina a refleha e diversidad aki.
Turismo y Reinvencion: for di cuminda casero pa herencia
Segun cu e era di refineria a mengua y turismo a surgi den añanan 80, Aruba a reinventa su mes un bes mas, hunto cu su cushina. Loke un tempo tabata wordo considera cuminda di cas a bira herencia cultural.
Keshi yena, pastechi, funchi y stoba di cabrito a pasa for di cushina familiar pa menu di restaurant. Chefnan local y fundacionnan cultural a cuminsa conserva receta, siña tradicionnan y reconsidera e cuminda di cada dia como simbolo di orguyo nacional. Loke un tempo tabata necesidad, awor a bira identidad.
Awe y Mañan: e historia riba cada plato
Awe e cushina Arubano ta sigui evoluciona. Influencianan global ta mescla cu memoria ancestral: un keshi yena vegano aki, un ceviche cu tamarijn aya. Chefnan hoben ta experimenta cu yerba di lama local, cadushi y lion fish mientras nan ta honra e sabiduria di nan mayornan.
E herencia culinario di Aruba no ta solamente un lista di ingrediente. E ta un storia di resiliencia, migracion y comunidad. Desde piscado y cunukero te cu trahadornan di refineria y doñonan di restaurant, cada generacion a agrega su propio sabor den e wea.
Cada plato, si ta un humilde pisca hasa cu funchi of un reinterpretacion di ‘fine-dining’, ta conta mesun historia: cu riba e isla chikito aki, mundo semper a topa na mesa.
E historia aki no ta solamente tocante cuminda. E ta tocante pertenencia. E cushina di Aruba ta conta e storia di ken nos ta y con nos a comparti nos mes cu mundo.
COLECCION DI RECETA
Bon Bini na Aruba su Capsula di Tempo Culinario
E coleccion di receta aki ta parti di e iniciativa di e muraya historico di Autentico Food Festival, crea pa honra e herencia culinario di Aruba.
Hopi di e recetanan presenta aki a keda conserva durante decadanan a traves di recortenan di corant warda pa Sra. Rosaura Semeleer-Quandt y su mama, Sra. Sophia Quandt—un muher Arubano stima y conoci pa su lesnan popular di cushinamento y su rol den siña generacionnan e arte di cushina local.
Hopi di e recortenan aki ta inclui nomber di miembronan di comunidad cu originalmente a entrega esakinan na corantnan y revistanan local, ofreciendo un bista riba e creatividad y conocemento di e hogarnan di Aruba. Otronan ta recetanan di Sra. Sophia Quandt y otro recetanan a keda anonimo, pero hunto nan ta forma un registro bibo di sabornan cu a forma e bida diario riba e isla.
Contribucionnan adicional a wordo comparti generosamente danki na Sra. Graciela Nedd-Cheng di Departamento Arubiana-Caribiana di Biblioteca Nacional Aruba.
E proyecto aki a wordo coordina door di Fundacion Go Cultura, den colaboracion cu Aruba Tourism Authority.
Nos ta invita bo pa explora e coleccion aki. Un archivo culinario cu ta abarca diferente momento den historia di Aruba y pa tene e tradicionnan aki bibo den bo propio cushina.
Bolo di pruimen • Pastechi • Cabrito Stoba (Goat Stew) • Keeshi Yena • Pan Bollo • Pan Bati • Drikidek • Kool Stoba (Cabbage Stew) • Pan Dushi (Sweet Bread) • Bolo Preto ½ lb (Black Cake)
Bolo di pruimen
Bolo di Pruimen
18 eggs
1 lb fine butter
3 lb prunes
6 cups brown sugar
2 cups white flour
1 bottle large cherry (18 oz)
1 bottle of large port wine
1 bottle candied citron (8 oz)
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons baking powder
Two days before, grind the prunes, sherry, and citron, put them in a bowl, and pour wine and brandy over them. Let it soak.
When making the cake, beat 3 cups of sugar into the butter until it becomes very creamy, then beat in the other 3 cups of sugar with the eggs until the cake becomes very foamy, then mix it and beat the butter in and let everything beat well inside. After that, add the flour with the baking powder.
Finally, add the prunes, mix well, and join everything together. Let it rest, then add foil and shape it well. Bake the cake in a hot oven at 350 degrees with a pan of water underneath for about 60 minutes.
This cake tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen!
Pastechi
Pastechi
Aruba’s most iconic snack. Golden, flaky dough filled with savory goodness and served at every birthday, gathering, and street corner. Every family has its own version, and this one is pure tradition.
DOUGH:
1 lb flour (Gold Medal)
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons Crisco
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup water mixed with milk
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Oil for frying
Mix to make a cream with margarine, oil, Crisco, salt, sugar, baking powder, and water with milk. Add flour, but not all; save some to dust the dough on the table. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin and cut into the desired shape.
FILLING:
1 lb ground beef.
Grind beef with carrot, celery, onion, tomato, and bell pepper.
First, prepare the meat with: garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, bell pepper, cumin, curry, Maggi, continental powder, ketchup, and soy sauce.
Put margarine in a hot pan. When it becomes a little dry, remove from the heat.
Cut capers, raisins, piccalilli, and cooked prunes and blend them into the meat.
Strain it in a colander so that the oil drains as much as possible from it.
The filling can also be:
Shrimps, oysters, tuna fish, cheese, etc.
ASSEMBLE & FRY
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Roll dough thin (2–3 mm).
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Cut circles using a round cutter or bowl (about 4–6 inches / 10–15 cm).
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Place one tablespoon of filling in the center.
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Fold the dough over to form a half-moon.
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Press edges firmly and crimp with a fork OR fold/pleat the traditional way.
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Heat oil (350°F / 175°C).
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Fry until golden on both sides.
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Drain on paper towels. Serve hot!
Crispy outside. Soft inside. Pure Aruba.
Cabrito Stoba (Goat Stew)
Cabrito Stoba (Goat Stew)
A true Aruban classic. This slow-cooked goat stew is rich, savory, and intensely flavorful. Often served on Sundays, holidays, and special occasions. Tender meat, vegetables, and spices come together in one pot of pure heritage.
Ingredients:
2 pounds of goat meat.
3 large limes (if you want more, you can use additional limes).
Salt (to taste).
1 cap of vinegar.
2 big tablespoons of butter.
Half an onion.
1 tomato.
1 teaspoon of mashed garlic.
1 teaspoon of nutmeg.
2 tablespoons of consommé.
1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
1 tablespoon of soy sauce.
1 tablespoon of rucu.
Preparation:
Cut the goat meat and remove all the fat from it. Wash and soak the meat in water with lime, salt, and vinegar. After you have cooked it, drain the water well from the meat and boil it well.
Put the butter in a pot, let it cook a little. Then add the goat meat, onion, tomato, garlic, nutmeg, one tablespoon of tomato paste, and one tablespoon of soy sauce. Let it cook just a bit. Stir water over the goat meat and spices. Add the consommé and rucu, stir, and let it cook a bit longer until the meat becomes soft. Remember, the water must be a quarter above the meat! Now the meat must cook well so it does not become too soft and fall apart. If the meat is from a younger animal, it will become softer faster than that from an older animal.
A good plate of goat stew can be served with white or brown rice, funchi, or red beets and petit pois on the side.
Deep flavor. Tender meat. 100% Aruban soul.
Keeshi Yena (Stuffed Cheese Casserole)
Keeshi Yena (Stuffed Cheese Casserole)
One of Aruba’s most famous heritage dishes. Traditionally, it is made by filling a hollowed Edam cheese with spiced meat and baking it until the cheese melts. Today, many families make it in layers or in a casserole. But the flavor remains iconic, rich, and deeply satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 small round cheese
1 pound ground beef
1 medium tomato
1 medium onion
1 bell pepper
2 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons raisins
3 tablespoons butter
Some green olives chopped small.
1 big spoon of breadcrumbs
2 eggs
Preparation:
First, put the meat on the fire with the spices, cut them finely, and let them simmer. When the meat is done simmering, please remove it from the fire and let it cool.
Now cut the cheese and remove the top like a lid. Try to remove the heart of the cheese, but go around the edge; this is the rind. Remove about one inch of thickness, and the rind should stay two inches thick.
Put the cheese now for about half an hour in a pot with water and salt. Meanwhile, beat the eggs well, and add in a big spoonful of breadcrumbs.
Take the cheese out of the water, dry it, and fill it with the simmered ground beef. Mix the cheese now with the beaten eggs and breadcrumbs.
Grease a small round pan with butter, and put the stuffed cheese in. Push the cheese into the oven, and once it browns, the Keeshi Yena is ready.
The oven must be at 400 degrees, and the Keeshi Yena stays inside for about an hour.
Let it rest 10 minutes before cutting.
This Keeshi Yena is very good with fried plantain on the side.
It’s rich. It’s cheesy. It’s Aruban history baked in a dish.
Pan Bollo (Aruban Bread Pudding / Fruit Bread)
Pan Bollo (Aruban Bread Pudding / Fruit Bread)
A soft, sweet, comforting dessert made from leftover bread, dried fruits, and warm spices. Every Aruban grandmother has her own version. This one is classic, simple, and full of love.
Ingredients
More or less eight slices of stale bread (or about 4 cups of cubed bread)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 liter of milk
1 small glass of red wine
2 big tablespoons of butter
2 big tablespoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
raisins to taste
Preparation:
The bread must be cut into small pieces.
Put the sugar on them and pour milk, wine, butter, vanilla, eggs, and raisins. Mix all together.
Let the mixture stand for 1 hour. After 1 hour, beat well, beat with a mixer, pour into a form, and put in the oven at 350 degrees.
Pan Bollo tastes like childhood comfort: sweet, soft, and unforgettable.
Pan Bati (Aruban Cornmeal Pancake-Bread)
Pan Bati (Aruban Cornmeal Pancake-Bread)
The heartbeat of Aruban meals. Soft, slightly sweet, and perfect with stews, soups, or breakfast. “Pan Bati” literally means “beaten bread,” because the batter is mixed until smooth. Every Aruban grew up with this on the table.
Ingredients
For four breads
2 cups white flour
1 ¾ yellow flour or cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
3 big tablespoons of powdered milk
Put all the ingredients together and add water.
Start with 1 ½ cups of water and stir until the dough is not too hard, not too thick, and not too watery.
After you put a little dough on a griddle or on the pan and let it sit, when the bread becomes brown, you flip it.
After flipping again, your pan bati is ready.
Soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet. Pan Bati is home on a plate.
Drikidek (Aruban Savory Biscuit)
Drikidek (Aruban Savory Biscuit)
A traditional Aruban savory snack. Often eaten with coffee, tea, or just as a treat during the day. Simple ingredients, big nostalgia.
Ingredients:
6 cups of water
2lbs. of brown sugar
1 stick of margarine
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of aniseed
2 lbs. of white flour
Put the water together with the sugar and aniseed, and bring to a boil for half an hour. After it cools, add the butter, the flour, and cinnamon, and beat the mixture well for at least two minutes, until it forms a dough.
Put wax paper in the bottom of a 12-inch round or square pan.
Pour the dough into the pan, put it in the oven, and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Check the dough after with a toothpick.
Drikidek is simple, satisfying, and deeply Aruban. Perfect with coffee or tea.
Kool Stoba (Cabbage Stew)
Kool Stoba (Cabbage Stew)
A humble but intensely flavorful Aruban comfort dish. Cabbage is slowly stewed with meat, spices, and vegetables. Simple ingredients transformed into pure warmth. It is often made in big pots to feed the whole family.
Ingredients:
1 cabbage
1 pound of salted meat.
1 pound of oxtail.
1 pound of goat meat.
1 pound of stewing meat.
3 large potatoes.
Half an onion.
1 teaspoon of mashed garlic.
1 teaspoon of nutmeg.
1 tablespoon of butter.
1 tablespoon of rucu.
Preparation:
We put the oxtail and fresh beef overnight in water so we can cook them in the morning.
Before we cook the meats, we wash them well, including the goat meat and stewing meat.
Put the meats on the fire with water, onion, garlic, nutmeg, and butter.
While the meat is cooking, we cut the cabbage and pour hot water on top.
When the meats are cooked, remove the cabbage from the water, add it to the meat, and let it continue cooking.
To know that the meat is soft, you can prick it with a fork.
Remember to put the rucu so the food gets a little color.
You can put a small spoonful of sugar to remove the bitterness of the cabbage.
To serve this Cabbage Stew with rice, pan bati, or funchi for six persons.
Hearty, affordable, and full of history. This is real Aruban soul food.
Pan Dushi (Sweet Bread)
Pan Dushi (Sweet Bread)
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour
¾ cup lukewarm water or milk
1 tablespoon yeast
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ small spoon salt
½ small spoon cinnamon powder
½ spoon vanilla
½ cup raisins
Preparation:
To make the Pan Dushi, you start by dissolving the yeast in the water or milk, and add the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to it. Stir them well together, then let them rest to rise for at least 10 minutes.
At the moment the yeast has risen and the bread flour is added, also mix the salt.
Also, add the butter and knead, and let it rise again for 10 minutes.
When it has risen again, add the raisins to the dough and knead for a good while.
Meanwhile, grease a tray with oil.
Now cut the dough into little balls, put them in the tray, and let them rise for at least 30 minutes.
After that, put them in the oven at 300 degrees and let them bake for 30 minutes.
Bolo preto (Black Cake ½ lb.)
Bolo preto (Black Cake ½ lb.)
1st part:
1 lb. prunes
1 lb. currants
½ lb. sweet almonds
½ lb. candied orange peel
½ lb. raisins
½ lb. dates
½ lb. cherries
½ lb. figs
½ lb. French fruit
2nd part:
1 cup brandy
1 cup Malaga wine
1 cup Curaçao liqueur
3rd part:
1 lb. brown sugar
1 teaspoon cloves
½ can fine cinnamon (small can)
1 teaspoon fine sweet pepper
1 tablespoon aniseed
1 teaspoon cardamom
4th part:
9 eggs
¾ lb. white sugar
¾ lb. sweet butter
¾ lb. flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup vanilla essence
½ cup almond essence
Ground all the ingredients from the first part together and pour the drinks from the second part on top.
Cook the brown sugar, add the other ingredients from the third part on top, and let them cook until they form a syrup. Then, mix this with the fruit and let it rest for a week or more.
The day you are going to make the cake, beat the white sugar and butter well.
Beat the eggs separately, then mix them well with the butter and sugar.
Now mix everything with the mix that we let rest for a week, so the flavors blend well. Then, stir in the vanilla and almond essence.
Finally, sift the flour, stir in the baking powder, mix, and beat in the other ingredients. The cake is ready.
Choose the pans according to taste.
Heat the oven to 300° for 15 minutes, put the cake in, and let it bake for 1½ hours.