Dominican Republic

La bandera

Rice, red beans and stewed meat with salad, eaten at midday almost every day.

Sancocho

Seven meats with tubers and plantain, cooked for hours for a serious occasion.

Mangú

Mashed green plantain topped with pickled red onion, with fried cheese and salami.

Mofongo

Fried plantain pounded with garlic and pork crackling in a wooden mortar.

Pollo guisado

Chicken browned in sugar then stewed with peppers and olives.

Locrio

Rice cooked with meat and achiote in one pot, the local take on paella.

Habichuelas guisadas

Red beans stewed with squash and sofrito, poured over rice.

Chicharrón

Pork belly fried until the skin blisters, eaten with cassava and lime.

Tostones

Twice-fried plantain discs served with almost every plate.

Pastelitos

Fried pastries of seasoned mince, sold hot at bus stops and parties.

Sopa de pescado

Coastal fish soup with coconut and yuca, strongest in Samaná.

Chimichurri

A grilled burger with cabbage and pink sauce, sold from vans at night.

Habichuelas con dulce

Sweet bean cream with coconut, sweet potato and raisins, made only in Lent.

Majarete

Corn and coconut pudding dusted with cinnamon, eaten cold in a cup.

Morir soñando

Orange juice and milk over ice, combined cold so it does not curdle.

Mamajuana

Rum, wine and honey steeped over bark and herbs in a refilled bottle.