Dominican Republic Food

Learn some facts about the Dominican cuisine

The Dominican Republic food stems from Spanish, Taino, and African cultures.

While the cuisine of this country has a fair amount of similarity with the dishes of other nations in the Caribbean, there is a great deal that makes it unique. This diversified place is well known for its hospitality and their delicious traditional food as well. When looking into the tastes that make the cooking of this area special, it is worth noting that although local herbs are used very often, it is not prepared highly spiced. Unlike in other countries, there is almost no spicy food that is considered particular to this region. The various types of meals that are available within the Dominican Republic food are plates that truly represent the blend of the culinary traditions from regions all around the world with the particular Dominican style.

Seasonings

You will see meats that are served in a sauce known as guisado (stew). The guisado essentially refers to a tasteful tomato based sauce with the addition of sofrito. The sofrito can have slight variations depending on the preferences but generally is the sauteed mixture of: garlic, onions, cilantro and oregano used in countless dishes. 

The guisado is often used with chicken and beef; olives are added to give a touch for more flavor.

Here above is my chicken stew and white rice (Guisado de pollo con arroz blanco)

Typical home cooking

When you are looking around for breakfast, you can expect a light meal of eggs or meat, often combined with the typical mangu. The mashed plantains with butter and milk are prepared to make this appetizing plate; normally cheese is added with some bacon. This is a lovely and very filling dish that can be found everywhere, and if you have a delicate stomach, you will find that mangu can be a great basic food for you to keep in mind.

Lunch is the largest and most important meal of the day, and you can try some great Dominican Republic food. One of those is the flavorful bandera dominicana (chicken and rice recipe) which involve: rice, beans, vegetables, meat and fried plantain recipe.

Check this Dominican lunch & dinner idea:

Tuna recipe >

In addition to this, when learning more about the Punta Cana food, we have to mention the sancocho, which is a stew usually made from several kinds of meats, plantains (what are tostones?) and some root vegetables. As you may notice this type of Caribbean food can be prepared for dinner too.

The legacy of the Spanish culture in the dishes are present in everyday meals, for example, in the sancocho and a Dominican style paella. There is the locrio which is another version of paella, consisting mainly of the following: sofrito, rice, chicken or any other meat, tomato sauce, vinegar, and some herbs cooked together.

Some of the most common Dominican Republic food were originated by the Tainos. They used to cook with yuca (cassava). The yuca was used to prepare the casabe, which is a type of flat and round bread, as well as catibias, which are flour fritters that have been stuffed with meat. From the African inheritance there is the mangu, the original version is the fufu, which is made from a variety of mashed root vegetables. There is also another similar plate which is the mofongo and it is made basically from mashed fried green plantains with some meat or seafood and a bit of crushed garlic. The use of coconut milk also comes from the African continent.

Popular Desserts

When you are interested in a luscious conclusion to your meal, don't miss out on the great desserts. 

One of the desserts that many people love to eat is arroz con dulce (sweet rice pudding); which is made using rice, milk, sugar, raisings among other ingredients. 

You will find that most of the desserts are wonderfully sweet, created with sugar and condensed milk, for example: dulce de leche (milk candy), majarete (corn pudding), flan (custard), and habichuelas con dulce (sweet creamed beans). 

- Check the batida de lechoza (papaya recipe milkshake) for a quick and sweet delicious drink.

Be prepared to eat lots of tropical fruits, ranging from papayas to pineapples.