Pastechi
Curaçao's golden fried breakfast turnover
Pastechi
Pastechi is Curaçao'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. Curaçaoans buy pastechi from bakeries, snack trucks (the famous truk'i pan or "bread truck" stands), 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 piská (fish) depending on the bakery.
- Find them at neighbourhood bakeries and snack trucks across Willemstad and beyond, 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 the flour, a little sugar, baking powder, and salt, then rub in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- 2
Add the milk gradually and knead into a soft, smooth dough, about 3 minutes, then cover and rest it for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- 3
While the dough rests, grate the Gouda cheese, or cook the minced meat with chopped onion and seasoning in a little oil over medium heat until browned and dry, about 8 minutes, then let the filling cool.
- 4
Roll the dough thin, about 3mm, and cut into rounds roughly 10cm across.
- 5
Place a spoonful of cheese or meat filling on each round, fold into a half-moon, and press the edges together.
- 6
Crimp the edge firmly with a fork or your fingers to seal so no filling leaks during frying.
- 7
Heat oil in a deep pot to about 175C, then fry the pastechi in batches, turning once, until puffed and deep golden, about 3 to 4 minutes total per batch.
- 8
Lift out with a slotted spoon, 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 Curaçao?
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When do Curaçaoans eat pastechi?
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