Food of Aruba

Aruban food mixes Caribbean, Dutch, Venezuelan and Indigenous flavors. Fresh fish, keshi yena, pastechi and funchi are daily foods, with a hint of South American arepas and Dutch cheese. Meals are relaxed and flavorful.

Keshi yena
National dish

Keshi yena

Cheese shell stuffed with spiced meat.

Staples

  • fish
  • Gouda cheese
  • cornmeal
  • rice
  • plantains
  • goat
  • coconut
  • beans

Signature flavors

  • cilantro
  • pepper sauce
  • lime
  • garlic
  • paprika

Main dishes

Keshi yena
Keshi yena

Cheese shell stuffed with spiced meat.

Key ingredients: Gouda, chicken, olives, raisins
Stoba

Slow-cooked stew of goat or beef.

Key ingredients: goat, tomato, spices
Funchi

Cornmeal side like polenta.

Key ingredients: cornmeal
Pan bati
Pan bati

Sweet pancake-like cornbread.

Key ingredients: cornmeal, flour
Fried fish

Fresh catch fried crisp.

Key ingredients: snapper, flour
Arroz di pollo

Rice with chicken.

Key ingredients: rice, chicken
Sopi di piska

Fish soup.

Key ingredients: fish, vegetables

Breakfast

Pastechi
Pastechi

Fried turnovers with cheese or meat.

Key ingredients: flour, cheese, beef
Arepa
Arepa

Corn cakes filled with cheese.

Key ingredients: corn, cheeseFull guide →

Street food

Pastechi di keshi

Cheese turnover.

Key ingredients: flour, Gouda
Cala

Black-eyed pea fritters.

Key ingredients: black-eyed peas

Desserts and sweets

Bolo preda

Rich spiced cake.

Key ingredients: flour, butter, spices
Quesillo

Caramel custard.

Key ingredients: eggs, milk, caramel

Drinks

Aruban ponche crema (non-alcoholic)

Creamy spiced drink.

Key ingredients: milk, eggs, vanilla
Fresh passion fruit juice

Tangy and sweet.

Key ingredients: passion fruit

Fruits and produce

Aloe vera
Aloe vera

Grown locally.

Papaya
Papaya

Common.

Full guide →
Mango
Mango

Seasonal.

Dish guides from Aruba

Arepa
ArepaBreakfast
Papaya
PapayaFruits
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More cuisines of Caribbean

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Keshi yena: La Cocina de Caputto Ricardo Caputto, CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Pan bati (beaten bread) - Aruba: Caribiana, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Pastechi-5: DanielleJWiki, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Arepitas Food Macro: Steven Depolo from Grand Rapids, MI, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Aloe vera flower inset: Collage by en:User:MidgleyDJ, original images from Wikimedia commons (Image:Aloe_vera_offsets.jpg and Image:Aloe_vera_C., CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)