The shelves of Curaçao's large supermarkets and specialty food shops are well stocked with a variety of goods from around the world. Because of its prosperity and its role as a major Caribbean transshipment center, Curaçao imports virtually all the food that is consumed locally.

Enter any island supermarket and you will notice products from the United States, Europe and South America. The typical Curaçaoan homemaker has to be multilingual just to do the weekly shopping!

But traditional fare was another matter. Because of its poor soil and scant rain Curaçao was never a major agricultural center. Only a handful of food crops were grown locally, forming the basis of a somewhat monotonous diet for the majority of the people. Small plantations produced grains like sorghum and corn; robust vegetables such as okra, pumpkin, cucumbers, Swiss chard, and peppers; and fruits like plantains, watermelon, papaya and mango. Goat, iguana, chicken, rabbit, pork and salted beef were the most common meats.

Today, some small scale agriculture is still carried out on the island, mostly by Portuguese farmers. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are sold at the large round market in Punda and at small corner groceries known as tokos (some of which have small gardens right in their backyards), as well as some supermarkets.

Immigrant groups have brought their own culinary traditions. The numerous Chinese restaurants, in particular, have adapted to local conditions; Chinese dishes, for example, probably have fewer vegetables than you might expect. (You may also be surprised to see pork chops and home fries sharing the menu with chow mein!)

The Indonesian influence is everywhere, with nasi goreng (bean sprouts sautéed with chunks of meat and chicken), bami (long noodles with vegetables and meat) and saté (skewered meat with peanut sauce) among the most popular dishes here. Indonesian peanut sauce also tops French fries and grilled meat. The most impressive Indonesian culinary influence is rijsttafel, a spectacular twenty course meal that shouldn't be missed.