The Cuisine of the Caribbean Netherlands

The cuisine of the Caribbean Netherlands, spanning the islands of Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius, is a hearty and flavourful melting pot, blending Dutch-Caribbean, Creole, South American, African and Indonesian influences. On Bonaire especially, dishes echo the wider ABC-island tradition: fresh fish and seafood from the surrounding reefs, hearty stobá goat or beef stew, funchi, a firm cornmeal polenta, and pumpkin pancakes. Savoury pastechi, deep-fried pastries filled with cheese, meat or fish, are a beloved snack across the islands, alongside rice, beans and plantain. On tiny Saba and Statia, fresh island seafood and home cooking prevail, sometimes with a Dutch touch. Fresh, hearty and diverse, it is warm and satisfying island fare.

What you actually see

• The fresh seafood - the reef fish and Caribbean seafood.
• Stobá - the hearty goat or beef stew.
• Funchi - the firm cornmeal polenta staple.
• Pastechi - the beloved savoury filled pastries.

When to go

Year-round; the islands' food is enjoyed in every season at local eateries and beach restaurants. Fresh reef seafood, hearty stobá stew with funchi, and savoury pastechi pastries are the signatures to seek out across Bonaire, Saba and Statia.

Honest expectations

The islands are small with limited dining scenes, so their cuisine is hearty home-style and Creole cooking rather than an elaborate tradition, its charm resting on fresh seafood and warm island flavours. As a flavourful Dutch-Caribbean melting pot, from fresh fish and stobá stew to funchi and pastechi, though, the cuisine of the Caribbean Netherlands is a genuinely satisfying and characterful delight.

Nearby

The eateries of Kralendijk and the villages of Saba and Statia serve it.