One episode of a popular travel show claimed that food in the Dominican Republic is scarce — that locals live on chicken and rice and don’t even fish, being incredibly lazy. Hardly true: a traditional Dominican soup includes seven (!) kinds of meat — traditional Dominican cuisine is not for the lazy. So what should you absolutely try in the Dominican Republic? Here’s our guide.
Sancocho is a traditional soup that includes as many as seven different kinds of meat! No family celebration in the Dominican Republic goes without it. Many people also cook sancocho on regular days, but a simpler version with just 4 kinds of meat, since it takes less time. Traditional sancocho is built on beef, with chicken, pork, pork sausage, ribs, and goat added in. There are no ordinary vegetables in it — instead you’ll find sweet potato, a local type of squash, plantain, and yuca. After long simmering, you get a thick, hearty stew, eaten with lime, rice, and avocado.
La Bandera is the national Dominican dish. It’s a stir-fry of meat, vegetables, beans, and fried plantains served with rice. “La Bandera” translates as “the Dominican flag” — it’s said the colors of this dish fully match those of the flag.
Guandules con Coco, or pigeon peas with coconut, is another festive Dominican dish, often made for weddings. Pigeon peas here are a legume with a slightly citrusy flavor and smoky aroma. They’re boiled, then spices are added — onion, thyme, garlic, squash — and finally everything is simmered in coconut milk. Served with white rice.
Sopa Boba, or vegetable soup, is an everyday vegetarian dish made from squash, yuca, and potato with spices and seasonings. Fairly light, but filling.
At Christmas, Dominicans prefer to have a whole roasted animal on the table — usually a suckling pig or turkey — or they make an impressive “Chivo a la Diabla”: goat stewed in white wine with spices and hot pepper. The holiday table is rounded out with Ensalada Rusa — “Russian salad”! Under this name hides a classic potato salad, similar to what’s known as Olivier salad elsewhere, though this version is also simply called potato salad. In the Dominican take on ensalada rusa, you’ll find beets and corn, but no meat — after all, it’s a potato salad!
Tostones are plantains fried like chips. They’re always served with a dip — usually made from tomatoes, avocado, and garlic. A simple, but very tasty, snack!
Mofongo is mashed breadfruit with garlic and bacon cracklings. Mmm! But don’t confuse it with mondongo — that’s stewed tripe.
There’s also mangú, mofongo’s cousin — mashed plantains with onion, cheese, pieces of meat, and spices.
Casabe is flatbread made from yuca root, following a recipe from the Taíno people who once lived here. It serves as a stand-in for bread.
Pescado con coco is fish in coconut sauce. In fact, anything “con coco” is a Dominican dish, which means it’s bound to be unusual and delicious. Fish and shrimp are most often cooked in coconut sauce.
The best way to finish a Dominican meal is with dessert. While any ripe fruit will do, we recommend not breaking the spell and choosing, say, Dulce con Coco — shredded coconut mixed with molasses, or Dulce con Leche — coconut milk with molasses. And don’t forget to finish your meal with a cup of coffee — now it’s a truly Dominican one :)
