Flavors of the Dominican Republic: mangú, sancocho, and rum

Dominican cuisine is a Caribbean, African and Spanish fusion — comforting, generous, and largely unknown outside the island.

La Bandera: the national flag on a plate

The Dominican Flag (the flag) is the national lunch — white rice, red beans, meat (chicken, pork or beef), salad and plátanos fritos (fried plantains). Every comedor in the country serves it between noon and 2 pm. 150-250 DOP (2-4 EUR). It's the equivalent of the Costa Rican casado or the Mexican comida corrida — simple, complete, daily.

The rule: the more popular the comedor is with locals, the better the Bandera.

Mangú: the Dominican breakfast

The mangú is a mash of green plantain, boiled and crushed with butter. Served with red onions marinated in vinegar (los tres golpes include mangú, fried salami, fried cheese and eggs). It's the country's most popular breakfast — hearty, delicious, impossible to find anywhere else in the Caribbean in this form.

Street breakfasts at the comedores of Santo Domingo or Santiago start at 5 am — café con leche and mangú for 100-150 DOP (1.50-2.50 EUR).

Sancocho: the celebration soup

The sancocho is the dish for big occasions — a thick stew with seven meats (chicken, pork, goat, beef, longaniza, marrow bones, brisket), tubers (yuca, ñame, green plantain, potato) and corn. Every family has its recipe. The Dominican version is the richest in the Caribbean — a single dish that feeds a whole table.

Sunday sancocho is an institution. You'll find it in country comedores and village festivities — always with white rice and avocado.

Plátanos: the Dominican obsession

The plantain is to the Dominican Republic what corn is to Mexico — omnipresent, in every form.

Tostones : slices of green plantain fried, crushed and refried. Crunchy, salty, addictive. The universal snack.

Mangú : green plantain mash (see above).

Plátanos maduros : fried ripe plantain, caramelized and sweet. A side to everything.

Mofongo (a Puerto Rican influence): fried green plantain pounded with garlic, chicharrones (pork rind) and broth.

Rum: the Dominican spirit

The Dominican Republic produces some of the world's finest rums. Unlike French rums (agricultural, from cane juice), Dominican rums are molasses rums — amber, smooth, complex.

Brugal : the historic brand, based in Puerto Plata. The Brugal Extra Viejo is the entry point. The distillery can be visited.

Barceló : based in San Pedro de Macorís. The Barceló Imperial regularly wins international competitions.

Ron Bermúdez : the oldest producer (since 1852). Less known abroad but excellent.

Rum is drunk neat, in cocktails (the Dominican Cuba Libre = ron con cola), or as mamajuana — a maceration of rum, red wine and honey in a bottle filled with bark and roots. Every family, every colmado has its mamajuana. A self-proclaimed aphrodisiac, a certain digestif.

Fish and seafood

The coast offers fresh fish everywhere. Pescado frito con tostones (whole fried fish with plantain) is the beach classic — ordered at a wooden chiringuito with your feet in the sand. The camarones al ajillo (garlic shrimp) of Samaná are a monument.

The Lambi (conch) is the quintessential Caribbean seafood — as ceviche, stewed or grilled. Increasingly rare due to overfishing.

Drinking in the Dominican Republic

Morir soñando ('to die dreaming'): fresh orange juice mixed with milk and sugar over ice. The national smoothie.

Jugo de chinola : passion fruit juice. Everywhere, always fresh.

Presidente : the national beer. Served ice-cold in a 'grande fría' (big cold bottle). The country's social ritual — a Presidente is shared among friends at the colmado.

Dominican coffee : grown in the Cibao mountains, Dominican coffee is full-bodied and sweet. Colmados serve coffee in small plastic cups for 15-25 DOP.

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