The Dominican Republic is located in the east of the island of Haiti and on several nearby islands, with its shores washed by the Caribbean Sea. The climate here is tropical, maritime, although in the mountains in winter the temperature can drop below zero.
The Dominican Republic is a paradise for divers, the local underwater caves with stalactites are amazing. Those who are not interested in diving can see the sights on land, there are many of them in the Dominican Republic - the Columbus lighthouse, the Armando-Bermudez reserve, waterfalls near the city of Jarabacoa … And when hungry, tourists can enjoy the exotic national cuisine of this amazing country. So what should a traveler try in the Dominican Republic?
Food in the Dominican Republic
The national cuisine of the Dominican Republic can be compared with a colorful and bright mosaic: it includes recipes for African, Spanish and Caribbean dishes. But this cuisine will appeal not only to exotic lovers, it will also be appreciated by those who just love hearty and tasty food.
Bananas are added to almost every dish here, more precisely, their specific variety - plane trees (small firm green bananas). In Dominican cuisine, there are many meat dishes, but dessert is often replaced with fresh ripe tropical fruits. Dominicans are very fond of freshly squeezed fruit juices, they mix cocktails from them. Chinola juice tastes especially unusual. Locals also enjoy drinking coffee with a lot of sugar. Another passion of theirs is Malta Morena. This drink is non-alcoholic, although it contains hops. Locals sometimes mix "Malta Morena" with condensed milk, although it is already very sweet.
The main alcoholic drink of the Dominican Republic is rum. Fifteen varieties of this drink are produced here. Rum-based cocktails such as Cuba Libre or Daiquiri are very popular. Locals often prefer cocktails containing ice, which is not surprising in such a hot and humid climate. Good beer is also produced in the country, although in smaller quantities than rum.
When enjoying Dominican cuisine, remember to follow some simple rules: drink only boiled or bottled water, wash fruits and vegetables before eating. And then your stay in the Dominican Republic will be filled with only wonderful, bright, bright impressions.
Top 10 Dominican dishes
Mangu
Mangu
The locals are very fond of manga. It is rather difficult to give a brief description of this dish. Mangu can be either a main course or a side dish. There are several manga recipes. It can be just grated bananas and onions, but often meat, plantain, and a local herb called cassava are added to manga. For breakfast, Dominicans eat manga with cheese, chicken eggs and bacon. This dish, thanks to the variety of its variations, will be appreciated by both vegetarians and meat-eaters.
Bandera
Bandera
In translation, this name means "flag", because the dish is tricolor, like the state flag of the Dominican Republic. Bandera ingredients are beans, rice and meat. Like many other Dominican dishes, bandera is served with fried banana chunks.
Chimichurri
Chimichurri
One of the most popular dishes in the country. Hamburger with meat and cabbage, all poured over with a special sweet sauce, which gives the dish an unusual but very pleasant taste. Chimichurri can be bought at any Dominican street stall. This dish will perfectly refresh your strength while walking around Santo Domingo or other cities in the Dominican Republic.
Sancocho
Sancocho
A cross between a stew and a soup. Spicy dish. It consists of stewed vegetables and rice, as well as five to seven different types of meat, which may include:
- beef;
- rack of pork ribs;
- Chick;
- ham;
- sausages.
This dish takes a long time to prepare, so it is usually prepared only on holidays. In the old days, it was cooked on coals, stirring with a wooden shovel in a huge cauldron. The preparation lasted for several hours, various seasonings were gradually added to sankocho … Today the process has accelerated and somewhat simplified. But still, having ordered a sanocho in a cafe or restaurant, be prepared for the fact that you will have to wait a long time.
Chivo a la diabla
Chivo a la diabla
Stewed goat meat in wine. The dish also includes rice, onions, garlic. All this is flavored with spices that blend perfectly with the rest of the ingredients of the dish without interrupting the taste of the main products. Dominican chefs know how to perfectly calculate the amount of spices. Like the previous dish, chivo a la diabla is prepared only on holidays (this is a New Year's treat), but for tourists the Dominicans are always ready to make an exception.
Pastelon de Platanos
Pastelon de Platanos
Banana cake. If you immediately decided that it was sweet, then you were very mistaken. This is not a dessert at all, but a minced meat pie. Bananas in the national Dominican cuisine are analogous to our potatoes.
Abichuelas gisadas
Abichuelas gisadas
Bean puree soup. This inexpensive and very satisfying dish was once invented by the poor, but then fell in love with representatives of all walks of life. Today, abichuelas gisadas is one of the favorite dishes of the Dominicans.
Asopao
Asopao
Thick, very satisfying soup. This dish contains vegetables, rice and chicken. Sometimes asopao is prepared with seafood. The soup goes well with orange sauce and fried bananas.
Mofongo
Mofongo
The dish is similar to manga, but has a number of differences. Mofongo are fried bananas mashed with garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and pork rinds. Especially for vegetarians: you don't need to add pork, it will still be very tasty. For meat eaters: Mofongos can be stuffed with shrimp, beef, chicken, or any other type of meat. This dish also goes well with meat or fish broth.
Abichuelas con dulce
Abichuelas con dulce
A sweet bean dish that sounds quite exotic in itself. One of the few dessert dishes in the Dominican cuisine. In addition to boiled beans to a creamy state, this dessert contains sweet potatoes, coconut milk and sugar. Ingredients can include vanilla, cinnamon, dried fruit and nuts.
