The culture of Aruba, encompassing its language, music, and cuisine, is diverse and has been influenced by both regional and foreign cultures. One significant foreign influence originates from the Iberian Peninsula, which had a significant impact on the island for approximately 137 years, starting . These influences were characaterized by a strong religious presence, missionary activities, and economic exploitation.
Since 1636, during the Eighty Years' War (1621–1648), the Dutch played a crucial role in shaping Aruba's identity, driven by their exploratory and mercantile spirit, contributing to the island's modern character.
The Aruban tourism industry dates to 1930s when the first commercial airline landed on Aruba and a guest house was established in Oranjestad. Starting in the early 1960s with the rise of a new wave in the tourism industry and the opening of the first luxury resort, Aruba Caribbean Hotel, a national aspiration arose to become "The little Miami of the Caribbean". However, this focus on developing a small island tourism economy (SITES or SIDS) led to rapid and uncontrolled expansion of the tourism sector. As consequence, it brought about a range of socio-ecological challenges and disrupted the sociocultural fabric of the island, known internationally as "One Happy Island".
Customs and traditions
The three Dutch Leeward Islands, Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire, located just off the coast of Venezuela, are among the most driest islands in the Caribbean. An example of these economical exploitation in Aruba was deforestation during the Spanish and Dutch colonization, exacerbating significant soil erosion. Due to their advantageous proximity to Venezuela, these islands received supplies of fruit and vegetables. Presently, Aruba imports tropical fruits from United States of America, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and the Netherlands.
Cuisine history
Antillean cuisine shares similarities with dishes from other Caribbean islands and Venezuela, but it also possesses its own distinct character. Over the course of history, these islands changed ownership multiple times and were inhabited by diverse races, each contributing to the development of the culture, language, music, and food.
Arawak diet
The original inhabitants, known as the Arawak, sustained themselves through simple farming, fishing, and hunting. They cultivated corn and brown beans together, because beans helped maintain the soil's fertility. They also grew sweet potatoes, groundnuts, cocoa, and cassava. Their sources of protein included turkey, duck, iguanas, and seafood from the nearby waters. Fruits were readily available.
Upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the Caribbean islands, they recognized the value of crops like corn, cocoa, groundnuts, and peppers. They were introduced to new fruits like papaya, avocado, coconut, guava, and pineapple. Herbs like basil and oregano, used by the indigenous people for flavoring, also caught their attention. The Spaniards learned about annatto (a saffron substitute), allspice, and other seasonings. This blend of indigenous and Spanish influences laid the foundation for the diverse Antillean cuisine.
Spanish influence
The Arawak people also adopted some of the Spaniards' food practices, including the use of pork fat. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the indigenous people cooked their food by boiling, steaming, roasting (barbacoa, now known as barbecue), or dry-frying on a clay plate (the comal). Sometimes, they even ate their food raw. They learned to appreciate the pig as a source of food and how to use its fat for frying. To enhance the flavor, they used coui, a sauce made from cassava juice and various types of pepper. They also began using annatto for its red-orange color and were introduced to salt. Other new foods included mango, lemon, and olive, brought by the Spaniards from Asia. Initially, they used honey as a sweetener, but the Spaniards introduced sugar.
African influence
The African slaves brought to the Caribbean by the Spaniards to work on sugarcane plantations made significant contributions to Caribbean cuisine. One important contribution was the banana, which has become a crucial part of our cuisine.
The indigenous people made flat cakes from cassava or corn, while the Africans introduced or funge, similar to Italian polenta. Later, the corn flour mash adopted from the indigenous people was also called funchi. Various types of beans and okra (guiambo) were also brought to the Caribbean with the slaves.