Funchi is a beloved Curaçao side dish made from cornmeal, water, salt, and a little oil. Cooked until smooth and firm, it has a comforting flavor and texture that pair especially well with island stews, fish, meat, and richly seasoned sauces.

This traditional Caribbean staple can be shaped into individual portions and served warm. Leftover funchi is just as delicious sliced and pan-fried until golden, then enjoyed plain, topped with cheese, or served alongside another meal.

Side Dish

Discover how to prepare Bottle Gourd Stew, a Main Dish recipe from Curacao. This page includes the complete ingredient list and preparation steps so you can recreate it at home.

Main Dish

Pampuna Lélé is a traditional Curaçao pumpkin dish that combines pumpkin with salted meat, pork tail, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and ripe plantain. Lightly seasoned with nutmeg and cloves and balanced with a touch of sugar, this hearty dish brings together the savory and slightly sweet flavors commonly found in traditional Curaçao home cooking.

Main Dish

Discover how to prepare Swiss Chard Stew, a Main Dish recipe from Curacao. This page includes the complete ingredient list and preparation steps so you can recreate it at home.

Main Dish

Curaçao Banana Fritters, traditionally known as Reskuk di Bakoba, are soft, lightly sweet pan-fried treats made with mashed banana, flour, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. The ripe banana gives them natural sweetness and a tender texture, while the warm spices add a comforting Caribbean aroma. Enjoy them on their own with a cup of tea or serve them alongside a meal.

Side Dish

This Holiday Turkey with Savory Potato Stuffing is a festive centerpiece inspired by Curaçao home cooking. The turkey is seasoned with butter, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and warm spices, then served with a flavorful baked potato stuffing filled with vegetables, prunes, capers and olives. A sweet-and-savory sherry sauce completes this comforting holiday meal.

Main Dish

Lumpia are crispy, savory rolls filled with a flavorful mixture of chicken, shrimp, ham, bean sprouts, Chinese cabbage, celery, green onions and peppers. This Caribbean-style version combines Asian-inspired seasonings such as sambal, trassie and Maggi with homemade thin wrappers that are rolled around the filling and fried until beautifully golden and crisp. Serve them hot as an appetizer, party snack or alongside your favorite dipping sauce.

Appetizer

Curaçao-Style Creole Fish is a flavorful Caribbean dish featuring seasoned fish fried until beautifully golden, then topped with a savory sauce of onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, and warm spices. Traditionally served with funchi and fried plantain, it is a colorful and satisfying taste of Curaçao home cooking.

Seafood

Kokada is a coconut candy that originated on the islands of Curaçao,Bonaire, and Aruba. These candies can be bought anywhere on the island. You can by them or at snack bars, on the streets of downtown.

Sweets

Peanut Letter Cookie, called Lèter di Pinda in Curaçao, is a fragrant peanut cookie traditionally shaped like the letter S. Its crisp texture and roasted peanut flavor make it a beloved island bakery treat.

Cookies

Cabbage Stew, known as Kolo Stobá in Papiamentu, is a traditional Curaçao dish made with tender cabbage, seasoned meats, and vegetables. Slow cooking develops a rich, comforting flavor that reflects the island's home-style Antillean cuisine.

Main Dish

Banana Stobá (Plantain Stew) is a traditional Curaçao stew made with ripe plantains, sweet potatoes, potatoes, salted beef, and pork tail. The combination of ripe plantains and sweet potatoes with the salted meats gives this hearty stew a delicious balance of sweet and savory flavors.

Cinnamon and annatto add a distinctive flavor and aroma, while all the ingredients are slowly cooked together until tender and the flavors are beautifully combined. Banana Stobá is a comforting dish full of flavor and tradition and is a wonderful example of Curaçao’s rich culinary heritage.

Main Dish

Pastechi is a popular Curaçao pastry filled with seasoned meat, chicken, cheese, tuna, or vegetables and fried until golden. Its crisp shell and savory center make it a favorite breakfast, snack, or party food.

Appetizer

Red Bean Stew, or Bonchi Kòrá Stobá, is a hearty Curaçao dish with red beans, salted beef, pork tail, and vegetables. Traditionally cooked slowly, it makes a filling family meal with deep Antillean flavor.

Main Dish

Papaya Stew, or Papaya Stobá, is a savory Curaçao dish prepared with green papaya, goat meat, salted beef, and pork tail. Slow cooking blends the fruit, meat, and island seasonings into a hearty Antillean meal.

Main Dish

Conch Stew is a flavorful Caribbean seafood dish enjoyed throughout Curaçao and the Dutch Caribbean. Fresh conch is cleaned with lime, tenderized, and cut into bite-sized pieces before being quickly cooked with onion, green bell pepper, butter, and seafood bouillon. The result is a simple but delicious dish that allows the distinctive flavor of the conch to stand out.

Conch can become tough and chewy when overcooked, so the key to this recipe is properly tenderizing the meat and cooking it only briefly. Serve this traditional island dish immediately while hot, accompanied by rice or Tutu for a delicious taste of Curaçao.

Main Dish

Goat Stew, known as Kabritu Stobá, is a beloved dish from Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire. Slowly simmered goat becomes tender while absorbing tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, and traditional Antillean spices.

Main Dish

This traditional Liver Stew is a well-known dish in Curaçao and the neighboring Dutch Caribbean islands. Made with either beef or goat liver, the liver is slowly cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and flavorful spices until tender and infused with a rich, savory sauce. This recipe reflects the simple, hearty style of traditional Curaçaoan home cooking and can be served with rice, funchi, or your favorite local side dish.

Main Dish

Make traditional Curaçao Salt Cod Stew with salted cod, onion, green pepper, tomato and celery. Serve this flavorful Caribbean dish with funchi or Tutu.

Main Dish

Pan Será is a compact bread that has been made on the island of Curacao long before there was any bakery on the island. Poeple use to bake their own bread in an outdoor stone over and due the minimal use of yeast, the bread remains relativaly heavy. Bread tast good when eaten with butter, dutch cheese (Young Gouda Cheese) or any kind of other cold meats.

Bread

Pumpkin Soup, called Sopi di Pampuna in Curaçao, is a comforting island soup with pumpkin, salted beef, pork tail, and vegetables. The slow-simmered ingredients create a creamy texture and savory Antillean flavor.

Soup

This recipe version of Pumpkin Pancakes and also know as Arepa di Papoena, is one of the most popular ones used on of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire. Enjoy!

Cake

Delicious recipe of String Beans Stew containing salted beef, pigtail, and goat meat. Very popular on the island of Curacao and its neighboring islands.

Main Dish

Liver Stew is a rich and flavorful dish made with tender pieces of liver slowly cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and aromatic spices. The liver absorbs the savory flavors of the seasoned broth while the vegetables create a hearty sauce that pairs perfectly with rice, funchi, or your favorite side dish. Simple, filling, and full of bold flavor, this comforting stew is a delicious way to prepare beef or goat liver.

Main Dish

Beef Stew, known as Karni Stobá in Papiamentu, slowly simmers tender beef with tomatoes, onions, peppers, carrots, and island seasonings. The result is a rich, comforting Curaçao dish for a satisfying family meal.

Main Dish

Discover how to prepare Antillean Macaron / Mankaron, a Dessert recipe from Curaçao / Aruba / Bonaire. This page includes the complete ingredient list and preparation steps so you can recreate it at home.

Dessert

Johnny Cake is a beloved traditional food in Curaçao and throughout the Caribbean. This Curaçao-style fried bread is golden and slightly crisp on the outside while remaining soft and flavorful inside. Enjoy Johnny Cakes warm on their own or split them open and fill them with cheese, ham, meat, chicken, or your favorite filling. They make a delicious breakfast, snack, or addition to a Caribbean-style meal.

Bread

Cheese balls are appetizer balls made using Jong Dutch cheese or best known as Gouda Cheese in the USA. This is a popular item served at parties or get together on the islands of Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire. These are simple to make and are very delicious. Enjoy !

Appetizer

Curaçao Rum Black Cake, known locally as Bolo Pretu, is a rich traditional cake enjoyed on the island, especially during holidays, Christmas, weddings, and other celebrations. It is made with a generous mixture of dried fruits, raisins, nuts and warm spices that are soaked in rum and brandy, allowing the flavors to deepen before baking.

The cake is slowly baked until dense, moist and aromatic. For an even richer flavor, additional rum can be poured over the cooled cake and allowed to mature for several days before serving. Because of its rich texture and intense flavor, Bolo Pretu is traditionally enjoyed in small slices.

Cake

A croquette is a small breadcrumbed fried food roll containing, usually as main ingredients, ground meat (veal, beef, chicken, or turkey) or with other ingredients. After World War II in the Netherlands, several suppliers started mass-producing croquettes filled with beef. The croquette (kroket or kroketten in Dutch) subsequently became even more popular as a fast food; meat ragout covered in breadcrumbs which is subsequently deep-fried.

Appetizer

Dates cake is a delicious and moist cake that is popular on the islands of Curacao and the Caribbean.

Cake

Snijboonchi Stobá, or Curaçao-Style Green Bean Stew, is a traditional Curaçao dish made with green beans, salted meat, pork tail, potatoes, vegetables and seasonings. The salted meats are soaked beforehand to remove excess salt, then slowly cooked until tender before the vegetables are added. The result is a hearty, savory Caribbean stew traditionally served with rice or funchi.

Main Dish