Best Dominican Foods
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Flan de coco or coconut flan is a delicate dessert that is popular in Colombia, Costa Rica, and parts of the Caribbean. It is typically made with eggs, coconut milk, condensed milk, cream, vanilla extract, and flaked coconut. The dessert is usually baked in small ramekins with caramel on the inside, so when flan de coco is inverted, it has a nice caramel layer on top and on the sides.
Before serving, the dessert is often topped with flaked coconut.
Mangú is a traditional dish that consists primarily of mashed plantains. It is a staple breakfast food in the Dominican Republic but can also be served at other meals.
The preparation of mangú is quite simple: green plantains are peeled, cut into chunks, and boiled until they are soft. After boiling, the plantains are mashed with some of the water they were boiled in, along with butter, oil, or margarine to create a smooth, creamy consistency.
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Pica pollo refers to Dominican-style fried chicken that is often eaten with a side dish of fried plantains and paired with a refreshing beverage on the side — usually beer or Coke. The freshness of the chicken comes from lemon juice in which it is marinated, while the coating mostly consists only of flour, or rarely, cornmeal.
Dominican food is a unique mixture of African, Spanish, and Taino Indian influences, without spiciness but with a lot of herbs and sauces. La bandera Dominicana (literally translated as the Dominican Flag) is one such dish and a staple of Dominican cuisine.
Similar to many Latin dishes, it starts with stewed beans and white rice, with the addition of meat, either stewed or roasted. The rice used in the dish is usually long-grained, cooked until it gets tender and dry on the exterior. It is mandatory to create a bit of concon - a dry, golden and crispy layer of rice, slightly burnt on the bottom of the pan.
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Sopa de mondongo is a term that is widely used all across Central and South America when referring to a hearty tripe and vegetable soup. The star of the dish is beef or pork tripe, the rather tough edible part of animal stomach which is cut into smaller pieces and cooked with other ingredients in a flavorful broth.
Different versions of the soup are found all across Latin America, where it has been adapted with locally available ingredients and spices. Typically, sopa de mondongo employs plain and sweet potatoes, cassava, corn, cabbage, plantains, onions, sliced avocado, and generous amounts of chopped cilantro, which is used as a garnish.
Chivo guisado is a Dominican goat stew. It is usually prepared with pieces of goat meat, onions, bitter oranges, garlic, and tomatoes, while the secrets to this delicacy are wild oregano and Scotch bonnet peppers. Local goats feed on wild oregano, which is the reason for great flavors of chivo guisado.
It is recommended to serve this tender and flavorful stew with chenchén (cracked corn pilaf), which is another delicacy from this country.
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Carne guisada is a simple, traditional beef stew flavored with cumin, jalapeños, and chili powder. It is popular throughout Latin America, especially in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The dish is usually simmered over low heat for about two hours until the meat becomes tender.
It is recommended to serve it on flour tortillas, although it can also be paired with rice or potatoes.
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Conconetes are traditional cookies originating from Dominica. These rustic cookies are usually made with a combination of grated coconut, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon water, ginger, and salt. The cinnamon water is made by boiling cinnamon sticks in water.
The ingredients are mixed together into a homogenous mass, and scoops of the mixture are then placed on cookie sheets and baked in the oven until golden brown and crunchy. They can easily be found in most colmados (corner stores) in the country. It's recommended to serve them with fruit shakes, coffee, or cocoa on the side.
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Yaniqueque or yanikeke is a Dominican fried bread with a crispy and crunchy texture. It is made with flour, salt, melted butter, and baking powder. The dough is rolled into thin circles with crimped edges, and it is then fried in hot oil until golden brown.
Yaniqueques are typically placed on paper towels in order to let out excess oil. They can be found throughout the country, on numerous streets and beaches. It is believed that this is a variation on the johnny cakes, and the dish was brought to the country in the 1900s by Afro-Caribbean immigrants.
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Palmito guisado is a traditional dish originating from the Dominican Republic. This stew is usually made with a combination of cooked heart of palm, garlic, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, olives, oil, salt, and black pepper. The onions are sautéed in olive oil until translucent, and the remaining ingredients except the heart of palm are then added to the pot.
The stew is covered and simmered until the vegetables are fully cooked. The heart of palm is added with some water, and the stew is then simmered uncovered until the liquid becomes reduced to half. Pamito guisado is seasoned with salt and pepper before serving.
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