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Issue 10 SUMMER 2013
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FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO
, LOVE TO
AND LOVE TO
DESTINATIONS
THIS PAGE
Dinah Veeris.
CURACAO
Multicultural
CURACAO
by
SUSIE ELLISON
16
TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL  JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013
DESTINATIONS
beautifully restored, others in atmospheric
disrepair), is another major draw.
The picturesque Willemstad waterfront, lined
with gable-roofed commercial buildings painted in
pastel colours, is the hub of activity for both
tourists and locals — a place to shop, eat or just
WHERE ON EARTH
pass the time of day. Grab a table beneath an
umbrella at Iguana Cafe and you can watch the
Queen Emma pontoon bridge that connects the
RUBA, BONAIRE AND CURACAO
Punda and Otrobanda districts on either side of the
(ABC) are part of the Lesser Antilles,
harbour swing open to allow boats to pass, while you
an island chain lying off the northern
cool off with a local beer or a cocktail made with the
coast of Venezuela. Formerly
original curacao liqueur. In the old days, people who
Dutch colonies, they are now
members of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands. The first
The Sweet Success of Bitter Oranges
Europeans to visit the region (in 1499) were Spaniards
THE BITTER-TASTING ‘LARAHA’ oranges
who dubbed Curacao isla inutiles, ‘useless island’
brought to Curacao by the Spanish were ignored
because it had no gold. They did find good drinking
until someone discovered the incredibly fragrant
water though, and filled their barrels in the bay
known as Spanish Waters. The Dutch, however, saw
oil contained in the skin and tried distilling
the advantages of Curacao’s protected harbour and
with the peels. The recipe came into the hands
strategic location between South America and the
of the Jewish Senior family who added spices
other colonies in the Caribbean. They built
and tinkered with the recipe until they came
a prosperous trading port, trafficking in slaves
up with the now famous Curacao Liqueur. Not
and funnelling the riches of the New World back
allowed to copyright the name of a country,
to Europe.
the Seniors copyrighted their uniquely shaped
All this coming and going left its mark in the
bottle with its orange peel-textured glass, and
kitchen... the local bread rolls are Portuguese; Dutch
to distinguish it from imposters, changed the
croquettes and oliebollen (a kind of doughnut) are
liqueur’s name to Curacao of Curacao.
popular snacks; sopi mondongo (intestine
It is fun to visit the small Senior & Co
soup), funchi (cornmeal mush) and dishes
distillery, housed in the historic
containing okra are vestiges of slave
cooking. Indian and Chinese
Chobolobo landhouse in
immigrants brought their own
Willemstad. There’s a museum
specialties and contact with the
exhibit explaining the
Dutch colonies in Indonesia
company’s history, a tasting
and Suriname introduced
bar, and a shop where staff
dishes like nasi goreng, satay
will bubble-wrap your
and massalakip (a
purchases so you can safely
Surinamese chicken curry).
get them home. If you poke
Curacao still earns its
around like I did, tucked
living from trade, operating
away
in a corner you will
a busy container port and
find the cute little restored
tanker dry docks. It is also a
landhuiz kitchen. To learn
popular tourist destination,
thanks to its vibrant culture,
more about the Jewish
diving sites and uncrowded
presence in Curacao, visit the
beaches. The capital Willemstad, a
unique, sand-floored synagogue
UNESCO World Heritage Site with
and its adjoining museum.
more than 750 historic buildings (some
A
Curacao
JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013  TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
CURACAO
Almost everyone in Curacao speaks
four languages: Dutch, Spanish,
English and the local Papiamento.
Their palates are pretty versatile too —
food in Curacao is a global affair that
has evolved over several centuries.
17
DESTINATIONS
Cook
were barefoot could cross the bridge for free but those in shoes
paid a toll. The system had some shortcomings... natives ashamed
of their status borrowed shoes to cross the bridge while frugal
Dutchmen took theirs off to dodge the fee.
it
CURACAO
…Fusion cooking and vibrant,
spicy flavours predominate…
SERVES 6–8
Karni Stoba
with
Beef Stew
Stewing Beef
2 lbs, cubed
Olive Oil 2 Tbs
Onions 2, chopped
Garlic 2 cloves,
chopped
Red or Green Bell
Pepper 1, chopped
Red Chili Peppers
3 chopped
Tomato Paste 1 Tbs
White Vinegar
1/4 cup
Soy Sauce 1 Tbs
Beef Stock 2 cups
Cumin Powder 1 tsp
it
1 HEAT the olive oil in
a Dutch oven or large
heavy saucepan and
sauté the onions,
garlic and red or
green pepper until just
starting to colour.
2 ADD the chilies and
beef and sauté until the
meat begins to brown.
3 ADD the remaining
ingredients and bring
to a boil then turn the
heat down and simmer,
uncovered for 2 hours
or until the meat is very
tender.
Curry Powder 1 tsp
4 SEASON to taste with
salt and pepper.
Piccalilli1 1 Tbs
5 SERVE with tutu or rice.
Salt and Pepper
to taste
KEITH WILLIAMSON
it
Vis
Tutu
1
Or mustard pickles.
Plasa Bieu
De Ruyterkade ZN, Willemstad
Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort
www.santabarbararesortcuracao.com
Landhuiz Doktorstuin
Weg naar Westpunt, Curacao
Den Paradera
www.dinahveeris.com
Senior & Co. Distillery
www.curacaoliqueur.com
Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue
www.snoa.com
18
TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL  JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013
Curacao is popular with European tourists and has a
sophisticated restaurant scene. The island’s multicultural identity
means that fusion cooking and vibrant, spicy flavours predominate.
Much of Curacao’s food arrives by sea — at the Floating Market in
Willemstad boats from Venezuela offer fresh fish direct from their
bows, and fruits and vegetables piled artfully on makeshift stands.
Dining options run the gamut from international restaurants to
popular local hangouts and street food. Explore the cobblestone
streets around Willemstad and you’ll find the old market building,
Plasa Bieu, crammed with picnic tables and street food stalls, each
with its own loyal following. I joined the longest queue, where an
African cook was frying pumpkin fritters and dishing up heaping
plates of local grub. No matter what else you order (I had fried fish
with vegetables, tutu — a mash of black-eyed peas and cornmeal
— and funchi — cornmeal mush), the slightly sweet, cinnamonscented arepa de pampina (pumpkin fritter) is a must for dessert. A
belly-busting meal here will set you back about six dollars. It’s hot,
crowded and chaotic but if you want to eat with the locals, this is
the place to be.
My search for authentic Curacao cuisine also led me to Landhuiz
Doktorstuin, in the countryside outside Willemstadt. Most of the
stately plantation houses (landhuizen or landhouses) built during
Curacao’s colonial era crumbled into ruin after the abolition of
slavery in 1854 but a few have been restored as private dwellings,
boutique hotels and restaurants. Doktorstuin specializes in Kryol
(Creole) cuisine, a fusion of European and Afro-Caribbean cooking.
This is Curacao’s soul food, rooted in slave culture, when
resourceful cooks forged a distinctive cuisine out of vegetables
grown or foraged, wild meats and scraps from the master’s table.
I asked to try a selection of typical Kryol dishes. The plate set
before me on a red chequered tablecloth in the airy patio dining
room held a feast: barbecued beef, papaya stew, goat stew, bacala
(salt fish); shrimp; stewed beans, conch stew, cabbage stew, grilled
fish steaks and grilled chicken. A side plate followed with French
fries and tutu. Everything had been prepared from scratch. The
stews — masterpieces of slow-cooking — were superb. I couldn’t
finish this mountain of food so I took the leftovers back to my hotel.
The Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort is a gorgeous property
located in a 1400-acre plantation overlooking Spanish Waters. After
a hot day of sightseeing, it was bliss to return to this oasis of calm
and to sit on my balcony with a cocktail, watching gilded sailboats
returning to port after a day on the water.
With a marina, a championship golf course, a tennis club, and
nearly a kilometre of golden sand, there’s no real reason to leave
the hotel, except to make the 15 minute drive into Willemstad. The
hotel’s open-air lobby, with vaulted ceiling, wicker lounge chairs
DESTINATIONS
Cook
it
SERVES 8
Tutu
Garlic 2 cloves,
whole but
smashed
Butter 2 Tbs
Onion 1 small,
chopped
Water 2 cups
Coconut Milk
1 x 14 oz can
Dried Coconut
unsweetened
½ cup
Salt 1 tsp
Nutmeg
a pinch
Brown Sugar
2 Tbs
THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Doktorstuin lunch; Pumpkin fritter;
Plasa Biew lunch; Bitterballen; Local food.
Yellow
Cornmeal
1 1/3 cups
1
1 DRAIN the soaked peas and
put them in a saucepan with
6 cups of water and the
smashed garlic cloves.
Bring to a boil and simmer
for about an hour, or until
the peas are soft.
CURACAO
Black-Eyed
Peas
½ lb, soaked
overnight in
water1
2 MELT the butter in another
saucepan and sauté the
onion until it softens. Add
the water, coconut milk,
dried coconut, salt, nutmeg
and sugar and bring to a
simmer. Add the drained
beans. Pour in the cornmeal
and cook, stirring constantly,
for about 10 minutes, or until
the cornmeal is thick and
pulls away from the side of
the pan.
3 PACK the tutu into a bowl
moistened with water then
unmold it onto a serving
dish. Use a smaller bowl or
an ice cream scoop to mold
individual servings.
Or you can use 2 cans of black-eyed peas, drained.
MARCO RAAPHORST
and panoramic view of the ocean, just begs you to hang
out and do nothing. It’s a great place for sunset cocktails
and at night it becomes a sushi bar where the Korean
chef, Jun, crafts maki and handrolls so beautiful to look
at, it seems a shame to eat them.
Curiosity about the locally sourced natural beauty
products in the hotel spa led me to herbalist Dinah
Veeris, a living legend in Curacao. Schooled in the healing
properties of plants by her mother and afraid that this
traditional knowledge was being lost, Veeris gave up her
teaching job to travel throughout Curacao and Aruba,
gathering plants and plant lore from local healers. She
established Den Paradera, a botanical garden where she
dispenses medicinal herbs and teaches visitors about the
traditional ways of planting, harvesting and cooking. Now
in her seventies, Veeris radiates health and youthful
energy. “We need to understand that we depend on
nature, that we are part of it,” she says, leading me
through the dappled shade of her garden. Surrounded by
fruit trees, flowering vines and fragrant herbs, I can’t help
thinking that the Spanish who dubbed this a ‘useless’
island sailed away from a paradise.
JULY–SEPTEMBER 2013  TASTE& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL
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