The Sunday Market at Barber

Every Sunday morning in the northern town of Barber, the market hall is converted into a food court where you can find every type of Curaçaoan specialty imaginable, from fish soup to stewed papaya, along with a wide variety of baked sweets and homemade drinks. Show up hungry, because you’ll likely want to sample a little of everything.

This weekly market is a popular local event, with a number of stands dishing out home-cooked meals to hungry patrons. The Marshe di Barber is right across from the town church, and I would wager that since the market is held on Sunday morning, a lot of people come here either after or before services. Probably during, too.

With so much to choose from, I had a difficult time deciding what to order. Looking at the menu of one place, I almost settled on Sopa di Mandongo. No idea what “mandongo” is, but it sounds exotic. Just to be safe, I looked it up and discovered that it’s tripe. Nothing against tripe; I’ve eaten it before, and probably will again. But not sober, and definitely not for breakfast!

We stuck to more identifiable foods, like goat stew and fried pastries filled with cheese called pastechis, and ordered tamarind juice. It was all delicious, and even better was the lively atmosphere inside the market, with old friends sitting around tables, drinking and laughing, while their kids ran around outside. These families probably meet here every week, and won’t mind if you join them. So if you wake up hungry for a hearty breakfast on Sunday morning, head to Barber.

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