Just for fun: Food culture in Dominican Republic

Well I am defiantly  not a foodie.  In my opinion much of Dominican food is not great.

1. Name 3 best well-known Dominican street foods according to you. I EAT LITTLE STREET FOOD.

2. Which are some unusual dishes that you have discovered ? I DO LIKE PASTELON IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS. MY FAV IS THE ONE MADE WITH GROUND BEEF AND RIPE PLANTAINS.

3. What makes up the typical breakfast in Dominican Republic? WHITE BREAD (YUCK) MANGU (YUCK) AND SOME FRIED SOMETHING. (YUCK)

4. Name 3 of your favourite festive dishes. PASTELON, THATS ALL. SO AT CHRISTMAS AND OTHER HOLIDAYS ITS ROAST PIG - ROASTED ON A SPIT.  I DO NOT EAT THIS EITHER.

5. According to you, which essential ingredient defines Dominican cuisine? HERE IT IS ALL ABOUT THE WHITE RICE.  YUCK.   

Clearly I am not a good person to talk about Dominican food......LOL  others will have much different answers. 

1. Name 3 best well-known Dominican street foods according to you.
This you can not answer generally because it does vary all over the Country .
But the most known is pica pollo  = Fried chicken pieces with fried Plantain or Yuca or casabe
Yaroa is made of fried Plantains or french Fries with pulled Chicken or ground Beef with cheese on Top .
Chimi churry it is a Sandwich with Pork meat
Puerco a leña : a whole rosted small pig they cut in Parts . Dominicans like most the skin =chicharron
Hot Dog : some sell it even without Bread on a stick .
What makes up the typical breakfast in Dominican Republic? Salami , Eggs , Ham mostly fried with Yuca , Guineo or Plantain . and juice . arepa is some they eat with boiled eggs in the Capital or SanPedro but not in Cibao .
Name 3 of your favourite festive dishes. Pavo , ensalada russa , Sancocho
5. According to you, which essential ingredient defines Dominican cuisine?
The Main ingredience is Rice after that Vivere : Yuca , Batata, Guineo ( Bananasverdes) Platanos ( bananas para hervir or fry)  The dominican Flag is : rice , Beans, Beef and salad . From Time to Time avocados you will not miss on the Table  it is seasonal .
Some very Typical are  Casabe : a Bread made from Yuca , Torta de maiz , Chivo picante but it is regional .
Some of the Most used Spices : Oregano coreander  ,Clove and Malagueta and Laurel . some drink Coffee with Cinnamon and Nutmeg .
Some very special you get mostly arround eastern : habichuela con Dulce . Sweet Red beans . Kidney beans with Milk , Coconut and Batata Connamon and Vanilla . Some Raisins and some sweet cracker they but in the prep after cooking .  It taste great with Vanilla Ice . I do it as Ice cream

Thank you both for your feedbacks. Didn't know much about food in Dominican republic but had to find out after reading your posts.

Found an old video on Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C96oGuRG0vg

I am personally not a fan of street food and fastfood but loved the spirit 

Have a nice sunday,
Bhavna

Quipe, empanada, yucca balls-all from the bodega by the fire station in Puerto Plata or Bolles in Santiago.

Mangu, tostones, fried salami.... Our Tia in Santiago makes a delicious eggplant casserole. And some meatballs that are muy bueno. Oh, and of course san chocho. Oh, and morro.

Dominican food is fun to cook and good to eat!
My tostones have actually received praise from my Dominican mother-in-law. 🙌🙌

Streetfood here in the Dominican Republic is that big because many People have not even a place to cook and so no other choice as to eat on the Street . The other Site when Dominicans go out they go a lot to Fiestas and do not want to stay hungry at night or better say early in the Morning .                              The Dominican "Comedor " is like a Family Restaurant with all to eat for take out .                                          I am same , not a Fan of Street Food because a Chef can help himself in every Situation .                               But you should really try the Chimi , if you eat pork . It is a bit like the Turkish Doner kebab,  they using a bun and and fill it with Slices from the pork leg .
Good in Dominican Food is that it is prepared from fresh ingredients 
You should really try a Sancocho and I tell you a real Sancocho ( of 3 meat) you can only eat in the Dominican Republic because they using  some Roots you will not get outside the DR . By the way it is a bit confusing but I have to say it : Sancocho in english names Stew , So you can make a lot of Stew but only one 3 meat Stew .The Dominican .

I have had various San cochos, no thanks. I just cannot handle big chunks of whatever - sometimes I cannot even idenyify.   Some are better then others but not my thing.

I find the diet quite unhealthy lots of what simple carbs, lots of bad fats and lots of salt.

I have found ways to make some of it a bit healthier.

You made me laugh. The first sancocho I ever had was on my my first trip there for a family reunion. There were every part of a chicken in there and I was at a loss. I tried to pick around them. Hubby eats it all. Ick

Sancocho is so labor intensive I have not made it yet. But I plan too.

It is a hell of a lot of work!!!  Not gonna do it!

1. I wouldn't class DR as a place where 'street food' is readily available. Rather you can get small snacks as you drive around and touted by vendors who take every opportunity where your vehicle slows down to sell you a snack. Other than that it is often some home cooking being offered on the streets or a colmado with prepared food on display. So I would name the following as typical street food snacks:

Empanaditas or Pastelitos with various types of filling, including sweet fillings.
Yaniqueques - fritters
Quipes - a variation on a Lebanese biting with meat being used
Bollitos de Yuca rellena de Queso - yuca balls with cheese filling
Chicarron de Cerdo, pork crackling
Chulitos - spicy cassava rolls

2. I do like Chivo Guisado Picante - spicy goat stew. Goat is not commonly ate by western expats but the Dominicans prepare this dish well.

And something else I came across which really did appeal was mashed mature plantain filled with a herby eggplant filling. I've seen different fillings too including seafood and a mangu bowl to be filled. I do like the various ways Dominicans prepare eggplant (aubergine).

Also I have come across really delicious fish balls with excellent herby flavour in the North West..

3. For a change from an american breakfast, you get mangu (boiled mashed plantain with margarine), fried eggs, salami, ripe plantain, ham and fried cheese. Not my favourite start to the day and a heathier option is local tropical fruit, fresh tropical fruit juice, muesli made here and unsweetened natural Dominican yoghurt and Dominican coffee.

4 Roasted pig is often the option available at Christmas but Pasteles en Hoya de Yuca is a side offering not to be missed. For Easter, habicheulas con dulce is a Dominican must.

5. Garlic, tomatoes, green and red peppers, onions to give you the base for most dishes and vinegar for the salad dressings and to add a bit of bite to various recipes.

There is some really good Dominican food around and sometimes put together with the most humble ingredients that we in the west have long forgotten such as salted cod (bacalo) and smoked herring (areque). Great seafood dishes can be found here cooked in the simplest forms on charcoal fires/ovens. And it can be very healthy if you cut out the fried foods and balance the carbs.

Have a check out of this great website:

https://www.dominicancooking.com/recipe … -dominican