The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Curaçaoan Foods. If you manage to be in an Curaçaoan restaurant or you are visiting Curaçao, I recommend the following:
1.Tompoes
Tompouce is a traditional Dutch cake consisting of a thin puff pastry filled with cream and covered with a soft pink icing. The desserts are usually made in rectangular shapes. The dessert is believed to be named after Tom Putsch’s stage name, Leprechaun. Tompouce is often served with afternoon tea or coffee, especially on festive occasions such as birthdays.
2. Stroopwafels
These delicious Dutch biscuits consist of a very thin layer of syrup, sugar, butter and cinnamon sandwiched between two thin wafers. The Stroopwafel was invented in the town of Gouda in the late 18th century, and many sources attribute the inventor to the baker Gerard Kamphuisen. Stroopwafels are traditionally served with tea or coffee.
3. Speculaas
Speculaas are spiced biscuits popular in the region. With a rich taste of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, these biscuits are traditionally baked on St. Nicholas’ Eve. Today, cookies are not reserved just for St. Nicholas Day or Christmas, but are served all year round, best served with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
4. Poffertjes
Poffertjes are small, round, airy Dutch pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat flour. They are baked in special moulds called poffertjespan and are usually served hot on a sheet of cardboard when baked outdoors at festivals and outdoor events. They are eaten as a snack and rarely at breakfast. Traditionally, poffertjes are topped with melted butter and icing sugar, but other unconventional toppings such as whipped cream, fresh fruit or rum are also available.
5. Ontbijtkoek
It is a rye cake flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, honey, pepper and cloves. Although eaten mainly for breakfast, it is equally popular as a lunch or midnight snack, topped with butter or jam and sometimes a few squares of cheese. When eaten as a snack, it is usually served with a cup of tea or coffee. The cake is also traditionally used at funerals because it contains honey and pepper, which are symbols of joy and sadness.
6. Oliebollen
This is a traditional Dutch and Belgian snack that can literally be translated as oil balls. The dough, which is fried in large quantities in hot oil, is made from flour, eggs, yeast, milk and baking powder. Crunchy on the outside and chewy and soft on the inside, it is the epitome of comfort food. Churros are traditionally sprinkled with icing sugar, while some varieties add sultanas or currants to the dough.
7. Pannenkoeken
A Dutch pancake that is somewhere between the thickness of an American pancake and a crepe and is made of milk, flour, salt and eggs. They are usually served with syrup, sugar, apples and cinnamon, but for a hearty lunch, some cooks like to add bacon and cheese to plain pancakes.
8. Kibbeling
Kibbeling is a popular Dutch street food consisting of cubes of minced fish fried in hot oil and served with sauces such as garlic sauce, mayonnaise, ravigot or whisky sauce. It is mainly eaten as a snack, but can also be served as an evening meal. It is recommended with fries, fresh salad and a sauce of your choice.
9. Bitterballen
Bitterballen are fried balls filled with meat. The filling usually consists of beef, flour, beef stock and various spices. This dish is usually eaten as a snack. Bitterballen are traditionally served with mustard, chips and bitterje or Dutch bitters. They are usually served hot and can be prepared with a variety of ingredients, such as chicken, beef or mushrooms.
10. Stamppot
Boerenkool stew is a traditional Dutch winter dish consisting of mashed potatoes and cabbage. It is usually served with bacon, onion and freshly ground black pepper. The meal is usually served piping hot, with the worst sausages in a chop pot, which makes it even more filling than it already is.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Caribbean Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.