Traditional Aruban food: A culinary journey on the One Happy Island

Luckily, eating like an Aruban local is a true feast. Traditional Aruban food is a tasty mix of flavours, spices and herbs – featuring sugary delights, traditional stews (known as stobas) and plenty of seafood. Keshi Yena, a hearthy and cheesy casserole, is often considered Aruba’s national dish. But the diversity of authentic aruban food is rich – also including Cashew Cake and Dutch Split Pea Soup. Curious? Enjoy our introduction to some of the most iconic aruba food recipes. 

Aruban Food Recipes: A feast for everyone

There’s much to be learned about the island through traditional Aruban food. Its rich local cuisine is heavily influenced by its national history (including rich Indiginous dishes as well as those influenced by Spanish and Dutch colonialism), its geographic location (think Latin American influences) and its natural resources (including plenty of seafood, rich herbs and spices and lots of corn). All of this makes for an abundancy of tasty authentic Aruban food and plenty of mouthwatering Aruban national dishes. Let’s explore them all! 

Keshi Yena

Also known as the national dish of Aruba, Keshi Yena is essentially a large round ball of cheese, stuffed with spicy meat (usally chicken or beef) and melted into perfection. Although Keshi Yena as a somewhat dark past and was born out of necessity (as it used to utilze leftover cheese rinds and meat table scraps) it’s nonetheless a testament to Aruban resourcefulness and creative cooking. It’s richness makes it the perfect dish after you’ve gone for a long hike on the island (or whenever you’re just really hungry). And the sensation of melted cheese is often unparalleled. Sounds delicious, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sliced Edam or Gouda cheese

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 chopped onion

• 1 tomato, chopped

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tbsp mustard

• 1/2 cup chopped cashews

• 2 chopped pickles

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 8 green olives, sliced

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken

• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish.

2. Line the bottom and sides with cheese slices.

3. Sauté onion in butter. Add tomato, condiments, and other filling ingredients. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Fill the cheese-lined dish with the mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

5. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in a water bath until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Pastechi

Pastechi can best be described as an empanada – and is a popular breakfast or snack item in Aruba. The common denominator of Pastechi is its deep-fried, cresent-shaped dough that can be filled with a variety of stuffings – including cheese, seafood (often tuna, but other fish or shellfish will do too), vegetables (like leek, onion, celery or peper) or meat (mostly chicken meat, but occasionally pork or other meats are used). When cooking it yourself, you can combine this main ingredient with chopped onions, peppers, celery and nutmeg. But don’t worry, you can also find Pastechi at plenty Aruban roadside bars. 

Ingredients for Dough:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup cold water or milk

Ingredients for Filling (you can also fill with Gouda cheese):

• 1 cup cooked ground beef or tuna

• 1 small onion, minced

• 1 tbsp chopped parsley

• 1 tsp cumin

• Salt and pepper

How to Make It:

1. Mix dry dough ingredients. Cut in butter. Add egg and water, knead into smooth dough. Rest for 30 minutes.

2. Sauté filling ingredients and let cool.

3. Roll out dough, cut circles. Fill, fold, and crimp edges.

4. Deep fry until golden brown and crisp.

Dutch Split Pea Soup

Aruba’s ‘Dutch Split Pea Soup’ is another result of the island’s colonial past. Nevertheless, Aruban’s have made this Dutch dish their own. Since it’s as filling as it is warm, Dutch Split Pea Soup is best eaten on cooler evenings – or whenever you’re in need of some comfort food. The thick soup includes split peas, smoked ham, plenty of onions and garlic as well as celery and bay leaves. The trick is to let the soup simmer for a solid amount of time (at least three hours), so a patient chef is required for this one. But trust us, it’s worth the wait. 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups dried split peas

• 1 chopped onion

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 celery stalk, chopped

• 1 smoked pork chop or ham hock

• 5 cups water or stock

• Salt and pepper

• Bay leaf (optional)

How to Make It:

1. Rinse split peas. In a pot, combine all ingredients.

2. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

3. Stir occasionally until peas break down into a creamy soup.

4. Remove meat, shred, and return to soup.

Pan Bati

Floating somewhere between a pancake and flatbread, Pan Bati is a traditional Aruban dish that can be eaten all day long. During breakfast or for dessert, the pancake-like bread is topped with sugar (or another sugary topping) whereas it can also accompany savory dishes – balancing out the strong flavours in your more hearthy Aruban meal. Literally meaning “beaten bread” Pan Bati is made from a combination of corn flour and wheat flour – which is key in giving the dish its fluffy consistency. Next to the two types of flour, you’ll also need baking powder, a bit of sugar, milk and oil. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• 1 egg

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• Pinch of salt

How to Make It:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Whisk in egg and milk until smooth.

3. Heat a greased skillet. Pour in batter like a pancake.

4. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Stobas

Stobas is Aruba’s traditional stew – and often found in the homes of the locals. You prepare it by marinating chunks of meet (like beef, goat or fish) in pepper and garlic, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, chili peppers, stock, cumin and nutmeg. Next up, some patience is required. As you’ll have to slowly cook the stew on a low fire for several hours. Do this until the meat becomes tender and your Stobas has a thicker consistency. Whenever you’re ready, serve this thick and heartwarming Stobas with steamed white rice and top with fresh cilantro. Not the patient type? Don’t worry. You can also find Stobas at plenty Aurban dining spots. 

Ingredients (beef stew):

• 2 lbs beef stew meat

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 chopped onion

• 2 tomatoes, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 bell pepper, chopped

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp cumin

• Salt and pepper

• Water or stock to cover

How to Make It:

1. Season and brown beef in oil.

2. Add vegetables and cook until soft.

3. Stir in tomato paste and spices.

4. Add liquid to cover. Simmer for 2 hours until beef is tender.

Funchi Fries

Funchi Fries are Aruba's answer to traditional French fries. Aptly titled, Funchi Fries are made from Funchi. This is a polenta-like cornmeal. The cornmeal is cooled, moulded and then the fries are cut into thick strips and then fried until crispy, often served with a spicy sauce. Funchi Fries are often served as a side dish (and you can find plenty of them at fast food and normal restaurants). Are you ready for this perfect snack or side dish? 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal

• 4 cups water

• 1 tsp salt

• Oil for frying

How to Make It:

1. Bring salted water to a boil. Slowly stir in cornmeal.

2. Cook while stirring until thick.

3. Pour into a greased pan. Let cool completely.

4. Cut into strips and deep fry until golden and crisp.

Cashew Cake Aruba

Let’s finish this post with something for your sweet tooth. Because no exploration of traditional Aruban food would be complete without mentioning the delicious Cashew Cake from Aruba. The cake itself takes quite some skill to make and includes several layers such as a butter cake and cashew filling. Some people prefer to cover their Cashew Cake with sweet syrup or liquor – as well as decorations like candied cherries and (of course) cashews. Despite its challenging baking techniques, you can very easily freeze Aruban Cashew Cake, both as a whole or in slices. This means you might have to work hard for a few hours, but will enjoy your cake for plenty more days to come.