Planning on a trip to Curacao, or know someone who is?  Curious about the local food you might be tempted to eat?  Well you have come to the right place.  We are going to give a little history and cuisine lesson for those who want to know more about Curacao food fare. 

Care to taste the iguana stew? Or does goat stew sound better?  Bizarre? For some, yes. But for the locals in Curacao, these are as tempting as the steak served at fancy restaurants. These Curacao recipes may be uncommon, but definitely delectable. 

Generally influenced by the Dutch, Curacao’s local cuisine is a mixture of several cultures with a touch of local flavor added. Marsche Bieuw, an old market in Willemstad is a good source of authentic local cuisine. Tourists who are daring enough to try this local favorite will want to know the Curacao recipes they have for Yuana – the Iguana Stew. And since iguana won’t be readily available in supermarkets outside Curacao, chicken or tuna would be fine substitutes. Phew! Now that sounds better. 

Stoba di Cabrito, Curacao recipe style for kid (goat) stew is also one of the most popular local dishes. If goat stew doesn’t sound more appealing to you than an iguana soup, this Curacao recipe can be modified to replace goat with lamb. And that sounds better? 

You might think that all Curacao has are exotic dishes. Curacao recipes have a long list of delicious and “wholesome” dishes. Keshi Yena, is a Dutch dish of cheese stuffed with either meat or cheese. This particular food has several variations all over the “ABC” islands but remains to be the most common in Curacao. 

Indonesia is one of the few to have influenced Curacao’s cuisine. One of its contributions is the “rice table”, wherein rice is combined with fish or meat and vegetables, with spicy sauce from fresh chilies. Tourists who find comfort in being served food that they are used to eating will also impressed by the vast international menu that is actually being served in the restaurants of Curacao. 

Curacao recipes are not restricted to dishes. The famous exciting nightlife in Curacao, has popularized the concoction of many cocktail drinks. Guests fancy a famous Curacao beverage made from the peels of the Lahara orange. These oranges used to be sweet Valencia oranges brought by the Spaniards to the islands. The difference in climate did not make the Valencia oranges thrive, thus changing its flavor from sweet to bitter. Over the years, Lahara oranges’ sweet-smelling oils were soon made into the Curacao Liqueur, which is very popular today. 

If you’re planning to visit Curacao, your trip may not be as fulfilling as you would want it to be unless you toughen up and give your taste buds some really good exercise. Iguana Stew may not sound and look tempting at all. But then again, it might just be what you need to complete your trip. 

So while you may not be a gourmet, or an adventurous individual, it is still worth it to try some of the local cuisine and drinks.  After all, isn’t that why you take a vacation, to do something different from your every day grind?  Go to Curacao and enjoy some of those unusual Curacao recipes!