Snèkculture in the Dutch Caribbean
When visiting Curacao, a small island in the Caribbean that is still part of the Dutch kingdom, one should definitely visit a local Snèk. A Snèk is a local mini supermarket, combined with an open air pub or bar, and from what I’ve heard from the locals an indispensable phenomenon on the island. Every Snèk is open from early in the morning till very late at night. At night you will find many of the locals hanging around their local Snèk to finish the day with a cold beer together with friends and acquaintances from the neighborhood. Beer at the bar is sold for the same price as in the minimarket, so you won’t have to worry about your night out being an expensive affair. Most Snèks also serve the most delicious pastechi’s, galiña smor, or stoba i morro, local diches at a price you wouldn’t be able to cook it for yourself. Don’t expect a detailed menu or an orderly list of prices when you visit a Snèk, sometimes you can find them quickly written down on an old piece of paper, but most of the time you will find no pricelist at all. Even though a license is officially needed to open a Snèk, most of them operate in the twilight zone of the informal sector. Things like administration, marketing, contracts and certificates seem to be empty terms in the Snèk culture.
You can find hundreds of Snèks on the island, some of them clearly visible by their beautiful wall paintings on the side of the road, others hidden high up on the hills with a view over the island. But all Snèks have one thing in common; they are all an inseparable part of Curacao’s society. At the counter the locals talk about life, politics, sports, or they make obscene jokes. In the warm climate of Curacao, a cold, local beer is always welcome, and if you sit down at one of the Snèks you can bet the in no time some locals will approach you for a friendly conversation. Snèks are raw but charming in their own way, and it is probably best of they remain for ever unsullied by luxury, professionalism and modernity.
Rick Penders
