Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Staples & Specialties
To Eat
»
La Bandera
The most typically Dominican meal consists of white rice,
habichuela
(red beans), stewed
meat, salad and fried green plantains, and is usually accompanied by a fresh fruit juice. It's good, cheap, easy
to prepare and nutritionally balanced. Red beans are sometimes swapped for small
moros
(black beans),
gan-
dules
(small green beans) or
lentejas
(lentils).
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Guineos
(bananas) A staple of Dominican cuisine and served in a variety of ways, including boiled, stewed
and candied, but most commonly boiled and mashed, like mashed potatoes. Prepared the same way, but with
plantains, the dish is called
mangú
; with pork rinds mixed in it is called
mofongo
. Both can be served for
breakfast, lunch or dinner, either as a side dish or main.
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Seafood
Most commonly a fish fillet, usually
mero
(grouper) or
chillo
(red snapper), served in one of four
ways:
al ajillo
(with garlic),
al coco
(in coconut sauce),
al criolla
(with a mild tomato sauce) or
a la diabla
(with a spicy tomato sauce). Other seafood such as
cangrejo
(crab),
calamar
(squid),
camarones
(shrimp),
pulp
(octopus) and
langosta
(lobster) are similarly prepared or
al vinagre
(in vinegar sauce), a variation on
ceviche.
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Chivo
Goat meat is popular and presented in many ways. Two of the best are
pierna de chivo asada con
ron y cilantro
(roast leg of goat with rum and cilantro) and
chivo guisado en salsa de tomate
(goat stewed in
tomato sauce).
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Locrio
The Dominican version of paella - rice is colored with achiote - with a number of different vari-
ations, and Dominican sweet bean soup -
habichuela con dulce
- a thick soup with root vegetables.
To Drink
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Ron
(Rum) Known for its smoothness and hearty taste, as well as for being less sweet than its Jamaican
counterparts, it's tough to beat the quality of Dominican rum. Dozens of local brands are available, but the big
three are Brugal, Barceló and Bermudez. Within these brands, there are many varieties, including
blanco
(clear),
dorado
(golden) and
añejo
(aged). Bermudez, established in 1852, is the oldest of the distilleries. Try
a
santo libre
(rum and Sprite), which is just as popular among Dominicans as the more familiar
cuba libre
(rum and Coke).
Ron ponche
(rum punch) - a blend of rum and sweet tropical juices - is more often ordered
by foreigners than by locals.
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Beer
Local brews include the ubiquitous Presidente, Quisqueya, Bohemia and Soberante. The most popular
way to enjoy a beer is to share a
grande
(large) with a friend or two. A tall 1.1L beer is brought to your table
in a sort of insulated sleeve, made from either wood or bamboo or from plastic and Styrofoam, along with a
small glass for each of you.
