Local Drinks

1. Awa

   Water

   Usage

   The most basic drink. The ABC islands run on desalination, the tap water is of high quality and safe to drink; in Aruba the tap water from the Balashi desalination plant is proudly nicknamed the "Balashi Cocktail". ⚠ For cold water say "awa fresku", for hot water "awa kayente"

   Grammar Note

   "awa" means "water". It comes from Portuguese "água" and is not spelled like Spanish "agua"

2. Kòfi

   Coffee

   Usage

   With milk, "kòfi ku lechi". Distinguish black coffee (no milk), white coffee (with milk) and café au lait (made with plenty of hot milk)

   Grammar Note

   An example of island-specific orthography. Under the 2009 Aruban orthography this Dutch-derived word is spelled etymologically koffie; formerly cofi. "Papiamento ta etimologico" means "Papiamento is etymological". Curaçao spells it phonetically kòfi.

3. Te

   Tea

   Usage

   te means "tea". For example — "Tin te di yerba pa tuma?" (do you have herbal tea?) — infusions of yerba (medicinal herbs) are drunk on the islands as a home remedy as much as a beverage

   Grammar Note

   ⚠ The same spelling is also the preposition "until" ("Te ki ora boso ta habrí?" — until what time are you open?). Say "un te" with the article to make the drink unambiguous

4. Lechi

   Milk

   Usage

   lechi means "milk". Dairy products are produkto di lechi. Coffee with milk is kòfi ku lechi.

   Grammar Note

   Milk is lechi; Dutch melk is not the Papiamentu spelling.

5. Djus

   Juice

   Usage

   djus has two senses: "juice" and "fruit juice". It is the word for pressed juice — for example "djus di kaña di suku" (sugarcane juice)

   Grammar Note

   Comes from English "juice". The correct form spells it phonemically with "dj-", not in the English way — loanwords are respelled in the local orthography

6. Batido

   Batido (fresh fruit shake)

   Usage

   An example about Trùk'i pan (food trucks): "hopi trùk'i pan tambe ta bende batido i shakenan di fruta fresku, kaminda kliente por skohé e fruta direktamente for di vitrina" — many trucks also sell batido and fresh fruit shakes, and the customer picks the fruit straight out of the display. Made in front of you from the fruit you point at

   Grammar Note

   Same root as "bati" (to beat, to whisk).

7. Limonada

   Lemonade

   Usage

   limonada means "lemonade". The citrus is lamunchi (lemon); on the ABC islands it means the small local lime.

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