Pastechi
Aruba's golden fried breakfast turnover
Pastechi
Pastechi is Aruba's quintessential snack and breakfast, a deep-fried turnover that fuels mornings across the island. A round of soft, slightly sweet dough is folded over a savoury filling, sealed with a crimped edge, and fried until the shell turns golden and crisp. The most common filling is Dutch cheese (often Gouda or Edam), but spiced minced meat and fish are popular too, so a tray at a bakery usually offers a choice.
This is grab-and-go food at its best. Arubans buy pastechi from bakeries, snack trucks, and roadside stalls, often eaten warm out of hand on the way to work or school. Crisp on the outside, soft and savoury within, a hot pastechi is the island's most reliable quick bite, and it is cheap enough to be an everyday treat.
When and where to eat it
Pastechi is above all a breakfast food, but it is sold throughout the day and is a fixture at parties and gatherings, where small ones are served as finger food.
- Cheese is the classic filling; ask for keshi (cheese), karni (meat), or piska (fish) depending on the bakery.
- Find them at neighbourhood bakeries and snack trucks across Oranjestad and Noord, best eaten fresh and hot.
For a true local breakfast, skip the hotel buffet one morning and pick up a hot cheese pastechi from a bakery instead. It is exactly how the island starts the day.
Key ingredients
How to make Pastechi
- 1
Mix flour with sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
- 2
Rub in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then stir in milk to form a soft dough.
- 3
Knead briefly until smooth, then rest the dough for 30 minutes.
- 4
Roll the dough thin on a floured surface and cut into rounds about 10 cm across.
- 5
Place a spoonful of grated Gouda or seasoned minced meat and onion in the center of each round.
- 6
Fold each round into a half-moon and crimp the edge firmly with a fork to seal.
- 7
Heat oil in a deep pan or pot to about 175C.
- 8
Fry the pastechi in batches, turning once, until puffed and golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- 9
Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
A home-style reference method; every family and kitchen has its own version.
Pastechi questions
What is pastechi?
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What does pastechi taste like?
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What fillings does pastechi come in?
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Where can I buy pastechi in Aruba?
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