After being here for almost two months, I think I have a decent grasp on what Dominican cuisine is like, at least in Santiago! There are a handful of dishes that most Dominicans eat on a regular basis.
For the Dominican, like in Spain, lunch (almuerzo) is the biggest meal of the day and is the "formal" meal. Many businesses and schools will be closed between 12 and 2 pm to leave enough time for families to get together and have lunch together. Breakfast and supper are much smaller by comparison, and some Dominicans won't eat supper on occassion.
Breakfast is usually made with eggs, and can be something as simple as a sandwich with a bowl of fruit like mango or pineapple. Usually ice water or some fruit juice is offered to drink. More americanized breakfast food is sometimes served, such as pancakes or cereal. More traditionally, mangú is served, which is a plate of mashed plantanes. It has a very starchy texture, and is usually prepared with onions and butter. It is also often served with salami, eggs, or cheese.
For the Dominican, like in Spain, lunch (almuerzo) is the biggest meal of the day and is the "formal" meal. Many businesses and schools will be closed between 12 and 2 pm to leave enough time for families to get together and have lunch together. Breakfast and supper are much smaller by comparison, and some Dominicans won't eat supper on occassion.
Breakfast is usually made with eggs, and can be something as simple as a sandwich with a bowl of fruit like mango or pineapple. Usually ice water or some fruit juice is offered to drink. More americanized breakfast food is sometimes served, such as pancakes or cereal. More traditionally, mangú is served, which is a plate of mashed plantanes. It has a very starchy texture, and is usually prepared with onions and butter. It is also often served with salami, eggs, or cheese.
Lunch, being the formal meal of the day, usually is some variation of what Dominicans call "La Bandera Dominicana" meaning the Dominican flag. It consists of either white or spiced rice as a base, a type of bean, meat (usually chicken or pork), and a salad consisting of thin lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. These four elements make up the Dominican "flag" and this is whaat a typical Dominican will eat for lunch. There is room for variation in each category, and individual families will have their own way of preparing each element, making each plate unique.
Another staple is Sancocho, which has a cultural significance apart from a culinary one. Sancocho is a stew made with many different foods and has chicken broth as a base. This hearty stew has a mixture of up to seven meats, including chicken, pork, shrimp and fish. It also has a variety of tubers and vegetables like cassava, corn, potatoes, yucca, and sweet potato.
The Dominicans proudly refer to their country and culture as a "Sancocho," meaning it is a mix of many diffrent elements (i.e. African, European, Taino Indian, and more recently immigrants from all over the world). Unlike the U.S.'s melting pot, the Sancocho idiom retains each individual shape and meaning within the bigger "dish," or culture.
The Dominicans proudly refer to their country and culture as a "Sancocho," meaning it is a mix of many diffrent elements (i.e. African, European, Taino Indian, and more recently immigrants from all over the world). Unlike the U.S.'s melting pot, the Sancocho idiom retains each individual shape and meaning within the bigger "dish," or culture.
Tostones, or Fritos Verdes, are fried plantanes that are chopped up and fried in olive oil, sometimes once and sometimes twice with salt, vinegar, and ginger. They taste like potato chips, and are often served with dinner or as salty bar food.
Another snack that is really common is the empanada, which is a fried breaded pie with usually chicken or cheese inside, although there are many flavors available. Empanadas Monumental is a well established stand that sells empanadas here in Santiago and in New York, and for about $0.75, they are hard to resist!
Of course the Caribbean wouldn't be the Caribbean without its bounty of fruits that grow readily on the island! Banana trees are everywhere in Santiago, and you can get a bundle of thirty to fourty bananas for the price of what we normally pay for five or six in the states! In addition, there are other common fruits that are cultivated and eaten here, including:
Pineapple
Tamarind
Mango
Passion Fruit
Papaya
Avocado
Guava
Coconut
For more on the DR's fruits, click here.
There are a lot of other foods and snacks and drinks that are common in the DR, but I've talked about what I've had the most experience with. One thing to note about Dominican food is that it is not spicy. Jamaican food is spicy, but not Dominican food!
Pineapple
Tamarind
Mango
Passion Fruit
Papaya
Avocado
Guava
Coconut
For more on the DR's fruits, click here.
There are a lot of other foods and snacks and drinks that are common in the DR, but I've talked about what I've had the most experience with. One thing to note about Dominican food is that it is not spicy. Jamaican food is spicy, but not Dominican food!