Everyday Meals, Dominican Style

Influenced mainly by Taino, Spanish and African traditions, the cuisine of the Dominican Republic is similar to what can be found in other Latin American countries. The major difference lies in the spiciness, as people there prefer mild seasoning and use primarily onions, garlic, cilantro, cilantro ancho (culantro), aji cubanela (cubanelle pepper) and oregano for flavoring.

Rice, corn, wheat, potatoes and yuca (cassava), as well as pork and seafood, are among the staples in Dominican dishes. Eggs and mangu (mashed, fried plantains) typically comprise breakfast. These can be accompanied by fried red onions, green onions, fried garlic, fried onion, as well as egg and meat.

Considered widely as the largest and most important meal of the day, lunch is often made up of chicken, pork or fish, rice, beans and salad. The La Bandera Dominicana, a popular lunch menu, consists of black, red or white bean stew, rice and meat. The “Aquas frescas” normally comprises fresh water seafood salad, black or red rice, meat, fried plantains, “gazpacho” (a cold tomato based soup) and other stewed fruits. The “Momence sur la Communce” is a traditional Dominican lunch soup. This soup has a reddish broth and is flavored with garlic, onion, cilantro, salt and sometimes with sourdough bread.

As mentioned before, breakfast is commonly accompanied by coffee and tea. Breakfast is generally made up of rice and eggs. Breakfast chorizadas are served typically at breakfast time. Other typical breakfast items include bread, breakfast sandwich, muffins, bread populator, pancakes, honey, jam, jelly or stewed fruit, and orange juice.

Lunch.Lunch is often considered the main meal of the day and is arguably the most important meal of the week. Consisting of either a sandwich or soup, lunch is considered an easy and filling meal that can be prepared in a short period of time. Typical lunch combinations include a soup or sandwich, a salad, chicken or beef stew, pasta, pills and a drink. Lunch is generally served with the aforementioned breakfast items or in the case of an evening meal, a glass of fruit juice and a salad.

Dinner.The main course of any meal is traditionally prepared in a stew or soup. Dominicans have a tradition in eating lechón as part of dinner. This is a dish prepared from a fatty chunk of meat wrapped in corn husks and stewed in a cauldron. The meat chunks are stewed in a sauce made of onions, carrots, garlic, carnitas, wine, vinegar, salt and pepper. When the word “lechón” is mentioned the meal is usually finished with a fried egg and fried bread.

The following are traditional meals:

Adobo: A pork or chicken stew cooked with soy sauce, butter and/or cream.

Arroz Caldo: A chicken soup stew.

Arroz de Marisco: Rice and chicken stew.

Beerja: A chicken noodle soup.

Bolillo: A beef stew.

Buckwheat Korma: A mung bean stew.

Carne asada: Burgers and beef cooked in a moka (a clay pot).

Dulce de leche: A vanilla bean paste stew.

Empanadas: Vegetarian patty molds.

Fufu de frijoles: Rice and bean stew.

Honduras en tummy: A cake and custard.

Isina: Potato and túrós.

Jamaica: Another yummy dessert is the Jamaican favourites; bananas, coconut, grilled bread, breadfruit, cassava, and mangoes.

Kakavia: This is an almond paste dessert made of soybeans and corn.

Kéritis: The Mesquite is great for smoking fish or cooking meats.

Kishka: This is a traditional Jewishiterranean sauce consisting of garlic, leeks and onions. Can be used as a dipping sauce for meat, poultry and even vegetables.

Kishka-ot: The same as above, but made with fish.

Lama: This is a traditional Greek fish soup.

Larribe: Meat and fish stew with asparagus, potatoes and aubergine.

Mango and Guava: this is a traditional Greek fruit combination that is sustainable and fairly inexpensive.

Mash: This is a traditional Italian pasta dish that can be prepared with fish or other seafood.

Meteño: This is a raw ground beef pepper that is one of the world’s healthiest.