Food in the Dominican Republic is an exciting mix of cultures. Its rich history and acquired influences throughout the years, as well as the different groups of people who have inhabited the island, give Dominican recipes a unique personality. The delicious dishes are products of the rich and flavorful combinations of Spanish, Taíno, and African cuisines. Generally, as in most Hispanic cultures, lunch is the main meal of the day for Dominicans. One of the most famous dishes in the Dominican Republic is La Bandera. It's considered a national dish and consists of rice, red beans, meat, and salad. This traditional food will land on your travel bucket list!
Here are some foods you must try while in the Dominican Republic
Mofongo
Mofongo is a fried plantain-based dish made popular in Puerto Rico. Some meals that are the same are fufu de plátano in Cuban cuisine and Mangú in the Dominican Republic. These two dishes are made by boiling the plantain and then mashing them. Mofongo is usually made using fried green plantains, which is mashed together with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon. Typically, it's filled with vegetables, chicken, crab, shrimp, or beef and is often served with fried meat and chicken broth soup. There is also Mofongo Relleno, which is mofongo stuffed with stewed beef, chicken or seafood, with the stewed sauce poured over it.
Mofongo
Mofongo Relleno
2. Pastelitos
Cuban pastries are baked puff pastry-type pastries filled with sweet or savory fillings. Traditional fillings include cream cheese quesitos, guava and cheese, pineapple, and coconut. The sweet fillings are made with sweetened fruit pulps.
3. Locrio
A locrio is a rice dish from the Dominican Republic. Similar to pilaf and paella, it consists of seasoned rice with some kind of meat, such as chicken, Dominican salami or pork, but no beef.
Locrio de Pollo
4. Chimichurri
Chimichurri (Dominican Chimi Hamburger) is a sauce-dripping burger made throughout the Dominican Rep. in street stands, each with their own recipe and flavor.
5. Chivo
Chivo Guisado (Dominican Braised Goat Meat Stew) is a recipe from the Northwest of the Dominican Republic where goats are said to feed on wild oregano. I have to admit that goat meat is not popular -- or even well-known -- in the Western World
6. Moro de Guandules
This recipe for moro de guandules is a dish from the Dominican Republic featuring pigeon peas and rice cooked with vegetables in a coconut milk broth.
7. Mangu/Salami
Plantains for breakfast are usually eaten as mangú, which involves boiling the plantains and mashing them with some salt and oils or butter. It is traditionally served with fried eggs, Fried Cheese, and fried Dominican salami. The dish is then referred to as Los Tres Golpes (the three strikes).
8. Tostones
All you needed to know about Tostones (Dominican Twice-Fried Plantains), one of our favorite side dishes. Enjoy these crispy delights!
9. Sancocho
Sancocho (Dominican Hearty Stew) is without doubt Dominican's most cherished dish. Sancocho is usually made for special occasions, but you can enjoy it any day.
10. La Bandera
La Bandera Dominicana, or 'The Dominican Flag', is what Dominicans call the national standard lunchtime dish.
11. Fresh fruits
The best selection of fresh tropical fruits is in the Dominican Republic. The fruit is ripened on the tree under the tropical sun and then picked and sold almost instantly. The first bite of fruit is undoubtedly a sweet treat as it is bursting with flavor. You can pick your fruit, but they are available at every fruit stand in Punta Cana. It's hard to miss them on the side of the road.
12. Dulce de Leche
Dominican Milk fudge, Dulce de Leche, comes in different presentations, here's one of its most popular presentations.
