Bonaire 2020: The Dutch Antilles

A trip to the grocery store is a real cultural event in Bonaire. Influence from Holland is most prevalent with Dutch cheeses abounding!

Dutch chocolate also comes in many varieties and is a real treat. Most labels are in Dutch. Sometimes you can tell what a product is... and sometimes not!

The island has a large Asian population as well and the stores often carry a good selection of Asian foods. Some are difficult to identify - even when the name of the product is in English! We simply don't have the variety of roots, mushrooms and herbs that are found in China and elsewhere in the Orient.

One fruit native to Arkansas is the persimmon, but Chinese persimmons are 3 or 4 times the size of Arkansas persimmons.

This is a dried persimmon.

Milk only comes in A-Sep packaging and is all shelf stable until you open it.

Papiamento is the native language on the island, but Dutch is quite common and most people speak at least some English.