The cuisine of the Dominican Republic is predominantly made up of a combination of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and African influences, the first and last occurring over the last five centuries. Though the dish names may differ, Dominican cuisine resembles that of other countries in Latin America.
Breakfast can consist of eggs or meat and mangú (mashed plantain). A heartier version uses deep-fried meat, such as Dominican salami. Cheese is another popular accompaniment.
As in Spain, the largest, most important meal of the day is lunch. Its most typical form, nicknamed La Bandera (“The Flag”) consists of rice, red beans, meat (beef, chicken, pork, or fish), and salad.
Dishes
The country that is now the Dominican Republic was formerly a Spanish colony. Many Spanish traits are still present, and people recognize a Latin American feel to the island and its cuisine. Many traditional Spanish dishes have found a new home in the Dominican Republic, some with a twist. African, French, and Taíno dishes still hold strong, some of them unchanged.
African dishes include:
- mofongo – a popular Caribbean dish which originated in Puerto Rico, and was later adapted to Dominican cuisine, made from fried green plantains or fried yuca, seasoned with garlic, olive oil and pork cracklings, then mashed with broth. Mofongo is usually served with a chicken broth soup.
- mangú – mashed, boiled plantain. Mangú is usually served with deep-fried Dominican salami and deep-fried Dominican cheese or fried eggs.
- mondongo – beef tripe soup.
Taíno dishes include:
- arepitas — fried yuca, sometimes potatoes or corn
- casabe — bread made out of yuca
- chulitos — meat–stuffed, refried yuca
All or nearly all food groups are accommodated in typical Dominican cuisine, as it incorporates meat or seafood; cereals, especially rice, corn, and wheat; vegetables, such as beans and other legumes, potatoes, yuca, or plantains, and salad; dairy products, especially milk and cheese; and fruits, such as oranges, bananas, and mangos. However, there is heaviest consumption of starches and meats, and least of dairy products and non-starchy vegetables.
Sofrito, a sautéed mix of local herbs and spices, is used in many dishes. Throughout the south-central coast bulgur, or whole wheat, is a main ingredient in quipes and tipili, two dishes brought by Levantine Middle Eastern immigrants. Other favorite foods and dishes include chicharrón, pastelitos or empanadas, batata, pasteles en hoja (ground roots pockets), chimichurris, plátanos maduros (ripe plantain), and tostones.
Arroz con dulce (or arroz con leche), bizcocho dominicano (lit. Dominican cake), habichuelas con dulce (sweet creamed beans), flan, frío frío (snow cones), dulce de leche, and caña (sugarcane) are among favored Dominican treats.
Some favorite beverages of Dominicans include Morir Soñando, rum, beer, Mama Juana, batida (smoothie), ponche, mabí, and coffee.
Geographical differences
What Dominicans tend to eat depends highly on where they live, whether near the sea or in the interior mountains. Regardless, most Dominican meat dishes tend to involve beef, as cows are farmed quite heavily on the island. Meat dishes tend to be very well cooked or even stewed in Dominican restaurants, a tradition stemming from lesser availability of refrigeration on the island.
Seaside Dominican fishing villages will have great varieties of seafood, the most common being shrimp, marlin, mahi-mahi or dorado, and lobster. Most villagers will more commonly dine on cheap, lesser quality fish, usually stewed with la criolla (a type of rice). Premium seafood tends to be too expensive for the locals, and is saved for the island’s main industry, the tourist resorts.
Differences between Dominican cuisine and that of other parts of the West Indies include the milder spicing of the Dominican, which mainly uses onions, garlic, coriander and oregano.
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