caribbean
Explore 71 foods connected to Bonaire, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
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The local shortlist
6 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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The full directory
71 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Aruba
Frekedel
Frekedel (balchi di pisca); fish balls made from shredded fish, eggs, spices, and breadcrumbs; deep-fried; served with funchi or pan bati and banana hasa; a popular Aruban snack and side; a feature of roadside snack-bars; a staple of Aruban street food
Curaçao
Sopi di Piska
Sopi di Piska; Curaçao's fish soup; freshly caught fish with vegetables, herbs, and a hint of lime; both refreshing and comforting; fish paired with plantains and yucca; a staple in local households and restaurants; a reflection of the island's maritime heritage; a dish after a day on the beach.
Aruba
Keri Keri
Keri keri; a traditional Aruban fish stew; originally made with shark meat, now any firm white fish; leftover or flaked stew fish combined with green pepper, tomato, celery, onion, basil, and achiote (annatto); served with rice; a delicacy of Aruban cuisine; a resourceful dish using leftover catch; prepared in 30-40 minutes.
Aruba
Cabrito Stoba
Cabrito stoba; a traditional Aruban goat stew; goat meat slow-cooked with potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, green peppers, nutmeg, and hot peppers; served at celebrations; accompanied by funchi or pan bati; goat thrives in Aruba's rocky terrain; a staple of traditional stoba cuisine; requires 3-4 hours of cooking.
South Holland, Netherlands
Goudse kaas
Netherlands' most famous cheese, semi-hard cow's milk cheese with creamy and sweet flavor, aged for varying periods.
Curaçao
Sopi di Yuana
Sopi di Yuana is a Curaçaoan soup made with iguana, local herbs, vegetables, and garlic; include it only where current wildlife rules permit a lawful, locally available preparation.
Curaçao
Yuana Stobá
Yuana stoba is a Curaçaoan iguana stew with tomato, onion, lime, sweet pepper, and bay leaf; include it only where current wildlife rules permit a lawful, locally available preparation.
Aruba
Johnny cake; a traditional Aruban fried bread; made with flour, water, yeast, lard, and sugar; fried in oil; served with cheese or bacalao (salt cod); a popular snack and breakfast item; a feature of roadside snack-bars; a staple of Aruban street food
Curaçao
Kadushi
Kadushi (candle cactus); an abundant natural resource of Curaçao; used to make traditional kadushi soup; spines removed, peeled, and the insides ground and boiled; a resourceful island ingredient; a distinctive Curaçaoan specialty
Curaçao
Sopi di Kadushi
Kadushi soup; a traditional Curaçaoan cactus soup made from the kadushi (candle cactus); cactus spines removed, peeled, and the insides ground and boiled; thickened with salted beef, salted pig's tail, dried shrimp, and clams; served with funchi; a resourceful island invention using abundant natural resources; a distinctive Curaçaoan specialty.
Bonaire
Ko'i lechi is a Curaçaoan pudding of sweet corn kernels simmered in sweetened coconut milk until creamy, then served warm or chilled.
Bonaire
A chewy Curaçaoan coconut sweet made from grated coconut cooked with sugar and often flavored with ginger or cinnamon.
Aruba
Pica Madame Jeanette
Madame Jeanette pepper; a core ingredient of Aruban cuisine; a hot pepper hotter than jalapeño with fruity notes; used to flavor almost every dish; processed into hot sauce that is a much-wanted souvenir; encountered everywhere on the island
Indonesia
Bami goreng
Fried noodles with spices, vegetables, and protein, wok hei with balanced seasoning and fresh ingredients, a daily Malaysian street food staple, versatile
Netherlands
Poffertjes
Small fluffy pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat flour, baked in a special poffertjespan, served with butter and sugar.
Venezuela
Soft enriched loaf rolled around ham, bacon, green olives and raisins, baked at Christmas and sliced into spirals.
Bonaire
Pan sera is a dense Curaçaoan farmer's cheese, pressed and salted until firm enough to grate or slice for sandwiches and snacks.
Curaçao
Papaya Stobá
Papaya stoba; a Curaçaoan stew with unripe papaya simmered with beef or pork; a striking blend of sweet and savory; the simple fruit transformed into a savory comfort infused with local herbs and spices; a traditional island dish; a distinctive preparation of green papaya; a local specialty.
Venezuela
Pale lager brewed since 1941 and drunk extremely cold in small bottles so it stays that way in the heat.
Venezuela
Egg, milk and rum liqueur bottled since 1900 and drunk at Christmas, thick, sweet and dusted with nutmeg.
Aruba
Sopi di Pampuna
Sopi di pampuna; a creamy Aruban pumpkin soup made with West Indian pumpkin (calabas) and salted beef; flavored with annatto seed; a hearty, comforting soup; a staple of Aruban cuisine; a feature of the midday meal; a traditional dish; a popular local favorite.
Aruba
Arroz Moro
Arroz moro (rice and beans); a popular Aruban side dish; white rice and beans served with stews and meat dishes; a staple of Aruban cuisine; a feature of everyday meals
Bonaire
Rom Rincón
Rom Rincón is a bottled rum from Cadushy Distillery in Rincón, flavored with local Yerba di Holé and kadushi cactus and left un-chill-filtered after pot distillation.
Bonaire
Shimaruku is a Bonairean/local cherry (Malpighia emarginata) with small red, tart fruits from a drought-tolerant shrub or tree.
Netherlands
Frikandel
Skinless deep-fried minced-meat sausage, served plain or as frikandel speciaal with mayo, curry ketchup, and onions.
Curaçao
Sopi di banana; a comforting and thick Curaçaoan plantain soup; highlights ripe plantains; celebrates the fruit's inherent sweetness contrasted with savory broth and local herbs; an unexpected savory delight; a distinctive Curaçaoan specialty; a traditional dish.
Aruba
Yambo
Sopi di yambo; an Antillean gumbo-style soup made with puréed okra for a thick, smooth consistency; made with fresh fish or pig's tail; served with funchi; a traditional Aruban soup; a staple of the midday meal; a local dish; a feature of Creole kitchen traditions.
Aruba
Keshi Yena
A whole Edam or Gouda rind filled with spiced meat, olives, capers, raisins, onions, and peppers, then baked or steamed until the cheese melts.
Aruba
Sanger Yena
Sanger yena (stuffed sausage); a traditional Aruban dish; sausage stuffed with goat, beef, or pork; a feature of Aruban cuisine; a popular local specialty; a reflection of Dutch and Caribbean influences
Aruba
Pan Dushi
Pan dushi ('sweet bread'); a traditional Aruban sweet bread; a popular breakfast and snack item; a feature of local bakeries; a staple of Aruban cuisine
Gouda, Netherlands
Stroopwafel
Thin waffle cookies sandwiched with caramel syrup, invented in Gouda in the late 18th century, a national icon.
Aruba
Sopi di Mondongo
Sopi di mondongo; a traditional Aruban tripe soup; made with tripe, spices, a medley of vegetables, and West Indian pumpkin (calabas); a hearty soup popular with locals; a feature of Aruban cuisine; a culinary adventure for the brave; a staple of the midday meal; a traditional dish.
Curaçao
Tumba cake; a traditional Curaçaoan rum cake; a sweet, moist cake flavored with rum; a feature of celebrations and gatherings; a reflection of Caribbean rum traditions
Venezuela
Arepa
Disc of precooked white maize flour and water, griddled until a crust forms, then split open and packed with a filling — eaten at any meal, every day.
Venezuela
Empanada
Half-moon of maize dough — not wheat — filled with cheese, shredded beef, black beans or shark, and deep-fried until the shell blisters.