Keshi Yena — Curaçao's National Dish
Keshi yena — "filled cheese" — is Curaçao's national dish: a hollowed wheel of Dutch Edam or Gouda baked around a savoury, slightly sweet filling of spiced chicken or beef with raisins, olives and capers.
It began as resourceful cooking, when enslaved and working people filled the rinds left over from the colonists' cheese. Today it is a point of pride, served at Plasa Bieu, traditional restaurants and family tables. The contrast of melting cheese with the sweet-savoury filling is unmistakably Curaçaoan. Ask for it where locals eat.
Good to know
- Try the authentic version at Plasa Bieu market.
- Expect a sweet-savoury filling with raisins and olives.
- It is filling — share a portion or come hungry.
Questions & answers
What is keshi yena made of?
A shell of Edam or Gouda cheese baked around spiced meat (usually chicken) with raisins, olives, capers and onions.
Stay in the heart of it all
Majestic City Palace — a restored 1892 monument in Punda, steps from everything in this guide.