Culture of Aruba

Antillean cuisine shares similarities with dishes from other Caribbean islands and Venezuela, but it also possesses its own distinct character. Over the course of history, these islands changed ownership multiple times and were inhabited by diverse races, each contributing to the development of the culture, language, music, and food.[8]

The original inhabitants, known as the Arawak, sustained themselves through simple farming, fishing, and hunting. They cultivated corn and brown beans together, because beans helped maintain the soil's fertility. They also grew sweet potatoes, groundnuts, cocoa, and cassava. Their sources of protein included turkey, duck, iguanas, and seafood from the nearby waters. Fruits were readily available.[8]

Upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the Caribbean islands, they recognized the value of crops like corn, cocoa, groundnuts, and peppers. They were introduced to new fruits like papaya, avocado, coconut, guava, and pineapple. Herbs like basil and oregano, used by the indigenous people for flavoring, also caught their attention. The Spaniards learned about annatto (a saffron substitute), allspice, and other seasonings. This blend of indigenous and Spanish influences laid the foundation for the diverse Antillean cuisine.[8]

In Aruba maishi rabo (Sorghum bicolor) is used to make pan bati (typical Aruban pan cake).

Casuela (flat cast iron griddle) are used to cook arepa and pan bati. An equivalent variety is the comal.

Fried piska cora (red snapper), shrimp, and pan bati.

The Arawak people also adopted some of the Spaniards' food practices, including the use of pork fat. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the indigenous people cooked their food by boiling, steaming, roasting (barbacoa, now known as barbecue), or dry-frying on a clay plate (the comal). Sometimes, they even ate their food raw. They learned to appreciate the pig as a source of food and how to use its fat for frying. To enhance the flavor, they used coui, a sauce made from cassava juice and various types of pepper. They also began using annatto for its red-orange color and were introduced to salt. Other new foods included mango, lemon, and olive, brought by the Spaniards from Asia. Initially, they used honey as a sweetener, but the Spaniards introduced sugar.[9]

The African slaves brought to the Caribbean by the Spaniards to work on sugarcane plantations made significant contributions to Caribbean cuisine. One important contribution was the banana, which has become a crucial part of our cuisine.[9]

Fried funchi with cheese

The indigenous people made flat cakes from cassava or corn, while the Africans introduced funchi or funge, similar to Italian polenta. Later, the corn flour mash adopted from the indigenous people was also called funchi. Various types of beans and okra (guiambo) were also brought to the Caribbean with the slaves.[9]

Palo di funchi is a wooden kitchen tool used to prepare funchi.

Lélé is used for the preparation of tamarind juice

The black slaves in the Caribbean introduced their cooking methods, including using banana leaves to cook their food. They also brought tools like the lélé wooden stirring stick and iron pots for making funchi. Black slaves were given the most economical food by their masters. This typically did not include fresh meat or fish. Instead, they ate salted mackerel or cod, which was affordable and could withstand the tropical heat. Dried fish became a primary source of protein for the slaves. They paired the fish with dishes like funchi or starchy tubers such as yam and sweet potatoes.[9]

After the abolition of slavery, Asian immigrants arrived on other Caribbean islands, bringing with them leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and curds.[9]

In the early seventeenth century, the West India Company acquired the islands that would later form the colony of Curaçao.[9]

The Dutch introduced cheese, bacon, and various types of beans, such as kapucijner and peas. Dutch workers who came to work at the oil refineries (Lago Oil and Transport Company and Arend Petroleum Company) brought changes to the local food culture. Before their arrival, most families had two hot meals a day, with the main meal in the afternoon and a lighter one in the evening. With the influence of the oil industry, the evening meal for many people shifted to a simpler bread-based meal. People started to learn about different sandwich fillings and how to use cheese as a sandwich filling. The consumption of potatoes and canned vegetables also became more common.[10]

In the seventeenth century, Sephardic Jews, who had previously migrated from Spain and Portugal and later settled in Brazil, were granted permission by the Netherlands to establish themselves on the islands. They had to leave Brazil during that period. The arrival of these Sephardic Jews, some of whom were affluent, greatly enriched Curaçao's cuisine with the finest Spanish and Portuguese culinary influences, giving it a distinct and more refined character compared to other Caribbean islands and South American regions.[10]

One noteworthy aspect was their mastery of combining sweet and sour ingredients, including capers, dried plums, olives, and raisins, in a single dish, which created a unique flavor that required an acquired taste to appreciate. They also introduced the cooking method au bain marie to the existing culinary practices.[10]

Chinese sailors, originally part of their own oil fleet, decided to settle in Curaçao and opened restaurants, a tradition often seen in Chinese communities worldwide. In the 1970s, the first Chinese restaurants, like Dragon Phoenix in 1971 and Kowloon in 1975, were established in Aruba.[11]

During Second World War, a significant number of Indonesians, mainly Royal Netherlands Navy sailors, stayed in Curaçao. When they left after the war, they left behind dishes like nasi goreng, bami goreng, and satay, which gradually blended into the local cuisine.[6] In 1955, the floating Bali restaurant opened its doors in Aruba.[12]

From the Americans stationed here during the Second World War, the local population learned to enjoy Coca-Cola and developed a taste for various bottled soft drinks.[6]

Papaya-based Aruban hot sauces

As previously mentioned, many elements commonly associated with the Antilles can also be found in Venezuela and other Caribbean islands, albeit with some variations. Local cuisine often features the use of regional papaya-based hot sauces, locally known as pica di papaya, in both accompaniments and cooking.[13]

Ayaca is a type of tamal wrapped in banana leaves. The red lint signifies the spiciness level: hot

The ayaca is a dough of white corn flour, also known as masa harina, sugar, salt, aniseeds, finely grated cheese, butter and milk spread thinly is placed on a banana leaf. A stuffing consisting of stewed chicken and pork, capers, raisins, plums, olives, piccalilli, ham, peeled almonds, celery, parsley, gherkins and chili pepper is placed on top. The banana leaf is closed and made into a small, neat package, which is wrapped in a second leaf and then tied with packing string and boiled in boiling water. The prepared ayacas are then allowed to cool. Shortly before serving, the ayaca is warmed up and eaten stripped of the banana leaves. Ayacas are made and eaten during the Christmas and New Year holidays.[14]

The keshi yená (stuffed cheese) is traditionally a hollowed out red Edam cheese is soaked and then stripped of the red wax layer and filled with a meat or fish filling, including capers, raisins, plums and olives. In a well-fitting form it is then prepared in a bain marie or put in the oven. The heat softens the cheese rind. At the end of the baking time, the keshi yená is turned out onto a plate, after having cooled down a bit, cut like a cake and served. For convenience, instead of the hollowed-out, round Edam cheese, which gives the dish its typical taste and soft pink color, a tin baking sheet is lined with slices of Gouda cheese. Similarly to the ayaca, the keshi yená is often served as an hors d'oeuvre.[15]

Sancocho with chicken, oxtail, and beef rib.

The sancocho is a typical example of a soup as a main course. In addition to fresh and salted meat, this dish contains vegetables, plantain, tubers, corn on the cob; and both sweet and regular potatoes.[15]

Mondongo soup with chunks of pig’s feet, rubbery skin, tripe, and plantain.

Mondongo is a stewed tripe dish made from the stomachs and hooves of cattle or goat. This stew, like so many other local specialties, is quite expensive. A thinner variant of this is also made, known as sòpi di mondongo (tripe soup).

After being thoroughly cleaned and washed with plenty of lamunchi (lime), the stomachs are parboiled and cut into small pieces. Capers, raisins, plums, olives and most of the sankocho ingredients are added later and the whole thing is simmered over a low heat. Finally, cognac or sherry is added. Foreign visitors sometimes call the stewed mondongo the "Antillean pepperpot".[16]

The yambo dish is a thick hearty okra soup. Yambo can be as simple or rich as one would like. A rich yambo contains cured meat and pig tail, fish, cheese, shrimp and kalko (conch meat) paired with funchi. This dish is not popular with many, especially foreigners, due to the slipperiness of the dish.[16]

Folk customs have developed not only during significant events but also around religious holidays, such as Dia di San Juan (St. John the Baptist Day) on June 24. In Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire, it used to be a tradition to light large bonfires on the eve of St. John's day to let the neighbors know that the holiday was coming. The remains of the previous year's harvest were burned in preparation for the new growing season.[17] Men spurred on by singing and music, would leap over the flames. However, this custom faded away, partly due to misunderstandings with the colonial administration, which feared participants' clothing might catch fire.[18] Nowadays, fires are lit all over the island on John the Baptist Day itself.[17]

A living popular belief that persists is the notion that people should refrain from fishing or swimming on St. John's Day due to the risk of drowning. This belief is not entirely superstitious, as the Dutch Caribbean islands on St. John's Day, can experience strong northeast trade winds. In Aruba, on St. John's day, an Aruban harvest festival and cultural celebration, called Dera Gai (burying a rooster), is held with traditional song and dance.[18] The song was played by violin, guitar, wiri, and tambú.[19]

Dried calebash

Traditionally, the Dera Gai celebration took place around a ritual. This involved digging a hole and placing a rooster inside so that only its head protruded from the ground, often covered with a green or dried Calabash gourd. Participants would attempt to kill the rooster while blindfolded, with encouragement from music and singing by onlookers. When that person hits that rooster, it will bring a wonderful smell that comes from the calabash fruit.[18] Female participants wore yellow attire, representing the color of the kibrahacha flower that blossoms in June, and girls adorned their hair with yellow bows. Traditionally, male participants wore black trousers, white shirts, with a yellow tie.[20][19]

This holidays is widely celebrated, with both pagan and Christian symbols that reflect the influences of the Arawak natives and the Spanish missionaries, respectively.[17] This festival is no longer as widely practiced, nowadays, the rooster is omitted, and only the calabash and a plastic rooster serves as the target for the reenactment.[18]

Steel band in a carnival parade at San Nicolaas in the 1950s.

The Allied victory of World War II was commemorated by a large parade in San Nicolas, comprised largely of Caribbean-English immigrants who came to Aruba to work at the Lago Oil Refinery.[21] The first steel and brass bands debuted a few years later and small parades sprouted here and there. Groups within the Aruban elite have taken up this celebration and expended it further. Aruba Tivoli Club, a private social club, started in 1944 with small celebrations.[22]

In 1955, different clubs and districts came together for the inaugural public Aruba Carnival, featuring the first official Carnival queen. The traditional Grand Parades were introduced in 1957. On November 11, 1966, at 11:11 am, the Stichting Arubaanse Carnaval (SAC), the organization responsible for Carnival, was established. The Carnival season officially commences at this exact moment each year. Since 1981, Tivoli has been producing the Lighting Parade, a nighttime parade.[21] Carnival begins with a small Fakkeloptocht (torchlight parade) that symbolizes the start of the Carnival season. This parade takes place on the first Saturday after New Year.[22][23]

Every year, Carnival (the big parade) is celebrated on a different date. The timing of Carnival is determined by Easter Day. Easter Sunday, the first Sunday after the first full moon after the beginning of Spring, sets the date for the first day of Carnival day. To find the first Carnival Day, you count back seven weeks or 47 days before Easter. Carnival officially kicks off on a Sunday. Easter can fall as early as March 22 or as late as April 25. As a result, Carnival is celebrated between February 1 and March 7. Following Carnival, there's Ash Wednesday, marking the start of Lent, a 40-day period during which people abstain from eating meat or animal products. These 40 days provide an opportunity for the body to detoxify. After following. Following the period of fasting, Easter arrives.[22]

The New Year celebration in Aruba also includes a number of cultural superstitions and traditions; the traditional celebration is called Dande. The name Dande, also spelled Dandee, comes from the Papiamento word dandara, meaning "to revel, to carouse, or to have a good time". After King William III of the Netherlands declared slaves to be free, the celebration began.

A group of five or six people usually performs these rituals, though more can join in. These people accompany a singer and travel door-to-door to express their best wishes for the New Year in repetitive songs, with a chorus that includes the phrase "ai nobe" (aña nobo) – "new year" – sung after each phrase. The celebratory travel usually leads to the houses of the singers' friends and family, where the host collects money in his hat to give to the group. Certain districts may have their own dande groups performing on the second day of the year.[24]

Central Bureau of Statistics indicate that in 2022, the population of Aruba consists of individuals from 138 different countries and represents 99 different nationalities. Nearly two-thirds (64.4%) of the population of Aruba are born in Aruba or the former Netherlands Antilles, 9.7% are born in Colombia, 5.4% in Venezuela, 4.6% in the Dominican Republic, and 4.5% in the Netherlands.[25]

Ormosia coccinea (10 millimetres (0.39 in)) is known as Huayruru, while the smaller Aruban bean Abrus precatorius (5 millimetres (0.20 in)) is called Bonchi hojada.[26]

The origins of beliefs and superstitions in Aruba can be traced back to pre-Columbian times when indigenous peoples inhabited the island. However, after 1820, when the indigenous population disappeared, their cultural heritage and beliefs were lost. Subsequently, with the arrival of African slaves during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, some African beliefs and superstitions became integrated into the culture, known as Brujería or Brua.[27][28] An example of a superstition that aligns with the pagan belief of Brua is ojada or hojada, which is equivalent to the belief in the evil eye. Children, especially newborns, are the most vulnerable and should be protected against the ojada.[28] Bracelets made from Abrus precatorius, locally known as Bonchi hojada ("Bean of hojada"), are worn as amulets for protection against bad spirits.[26]

The Aruban waltz, exemplified by the national anthem Aruba Dushi Tera, originates from Europe. It's characterized by the unmistakable three-fourths beat of the Viennese waltz. Through rhythm variations within the bar (syncope), the Aruban waltz gains its distinctive flexibility and character, setting it apart from Viennese or Curaçaoan waltzes.[29]

Other European-inspired music styles include the Danza, which also has roots in Europe and is known in places like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The mazurka, an original Polish dance with a three-fourths rhythm accented on the second beat. Lastly, the Bolero, originally Spanish, with a clear four-four measure, probably arrived in Aruba through Cuban labor migration.[29]

Waltz and Bolero, alongside the Tumba and Merengue, hold significant roles in the popular music created by Aruban composer and pianist Padu Lampe, known as Padu del Caribe, and Victor Camacho. Additionally, musical groups like Placentero Ritmo y Cuerda and Vicente Kelly have contributed to this vibrant musical tradition.[29]

Tumba holds a place in the ABC islands similar to what merengue does in the Dominican Republic, calypso in Trinidad, and son in Cuba. Originally a two-part dance set to a 2/4 time signature (now often in 6/8), Tumba, at the dawn of the 20th century, served as a vehicle for songs of satire and ridicule. What was once a means for the community to convey gossip through song has evolved to nurture professional songwriters.[30]

In 1971, Tumba was officially designated as the national style for the annual Carnival Road March and Tumba festival. Much like Trinidad, Curaçao, and Aruba, these celebrations include competitions to crown the El Rey de Tumba (King of Tumba). The festivities begin with lively parades and jump-up events. The finals are broadcast throughout the entire island group, with live radio connections to the Netherlands, allowing the vast Antillean community to cheer for their favorite performers.[30]

Many of the islands' top musical groups, versed in various Latin and Caribbean styles, place a strong emphasis on the Tumba rhythm or serve as backing bands for guest vocalists who interpret their own compositions.[30]

University-trained musicians, including Ivan Jansen, Delbert Bemabela & Ivan Quandus, and Cuban saxophonist Eduardo Proveyer, among many others, seamlessly blend traditional Aruban rhythms like danza, waltz, merengue, tumba, and Aruban/Trinidadian steelpan music into a modern cross-over genre, giving birth to a new form of Aruban Crioyo Jazz. Jansen aptly describes this musical direction as "a fusion of Caribbean rhythms and adventurous jazz improvisations". The growing popularity of Caribbean or Crioyo jazz music was evident through events like the Caribbean Sea Jazz Festival (which concluded in 2019).[31][29]

Noteworthy bands such as Claudius Philips' Oreo, BMW, and Basic One continue to preserve the Afro-Caribbean musical tradition, introduced by Caribbean migrants in the first half of the twentieth century. This younger generation of professional, semi-professional, and amateur musicians infuse rock, reggae, rock, and hip-hop into the ever-expanding Aruban musical landscape. The significant influx of migrants in the 1990s sparked a heightened interest in South American rhythms like the Vallenato. The local musical tradition extends its reach globally, while simultaneously, global musical styles, from classical music to funk, Latin jazz, rock, reggae, and hip-hop, become integral to the local scene.[29]

Aruba technically does not have a film industry as a country, but its main film industry is inherited from the Netherlands; the 2013 film Abo So was the first indigenous feature.[32] It features the music of Padú del Caribe.[33]