The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Bonairean Foods. If you manage to be in an Bonairean restaurant or you are visiting Bonaire, I recommend the following:
1. Sopi Piska
You cannot go wrong with fish anywhere in the Caribbean, and once you try the local fish soup, you’ll understand why. It offers the best local seafood in a rich broth. A must for seafood lovers.
2. Piska Kriyoyo
If you speak Spanish, you may recognise it as pescado criollo. It is grilled or fried and served over rice or quesadillas with a spicy tomato sauce. These fish are often lionfish, an invasive species that has actively colonised native reefs. It’s delicious and eating it helps protect local ecosystems.
3. Pika Siboyo
It is not a food in its own right, but a seasoning. Unlike the cuisine of other islands, Bonairean food is not based on hot chilli, but on pika siboyo, a dish made from onions and peppers marinated in vinegar. Order it as a bold accompaniment to delicious island dishes.
4. Pastechis
Pastechi is a traditional Caribbean breakfast or snack consisting of baked crescent-shaped pastries filled with various ingredients such as chicken, beef, tuna, vegetables or cheese. The main ingredient is usually mixed with chopped onion, green pepper, celery stalks, sultanas, cumin, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Pastechi, fried until golden brown, can be found all over the island, especially in roadside bars.
5. Sopi Mondongo
Sopi mondongo, or beef tripe soup, is sure to impress your fellow diners. If you like good food, Bonaire offers other interesting options, such as sopi di yuwana, or iguana soup, while Kabes ku higra, made with goat’s brain and liver, is a little more challenging.
6. Keshi Yena
The steamed or grilled dish consists of a large block of cheese hollowed out and stuffed with seasoned meat. It was invented by slaves in this former Dutch colony. It came to slave kitchens when Dutch masters traditionally took Gouda or Edam cheese and hollowed it out until only a waxy rind remained. The slaves filled the centre of the cheese with leftover meat and vegetables and baked it until the cheese melted. The result was Cash Yen, whose name comes from the Dutch word kase, meaning cheese.
7. Kabritu Stobá
This is a traditional goat dish from Bonaire. The stews are usually made with goat (or lamb), butter, onion, garlic, tomato, tomato puree, lemon juice, chipotle chilli, beef stock, paprika, white vinegar, salt and pepper. Dice the meat and sprinkle with lime juice, then fry in butter on both sides until browned. When finished, this lamb stew is traditionally served with rice or mushrooms.
8. Baka Stobá
This is Bonaire’s version of beef stew, and it is just as tasty and authentic as the goat version. If you enjoy tasting delicious local stews but don’t want to eat goat meat, try this delicious dish, a safe and delicious option to try on this island.
9. Cocada
If you have a taste for sweets, be sure to try the island’s signature coconut sweets. Flavoured with hints of vanilla and pink, the local cakes are white or brown in their natural state, dependent on whether the coconut’s brown skin is removed, but they’re also brightly coloured with food colouring.
10. Guiambo
Giambo is a typical Caribbean dish consisting of beef, okra and fish such as red snapper cooked together in a thick broth. Also known as West Indian gumbo, this delicious Aruban dish features the famous Cajun dish with an okra puree that gives the dish a unique smoothness. Giambo is best garnished with boiled shrimp.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Caribbean Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.