DOMINICAN

REPUBLIC

By: Natalie Victorio

Geographical Map
Dominican Republic is a
country located in the West
Indies. The West Indies is
compromised of islands
such as Puerto Rico, Cuba,
Jamaica, and the Hispaniola.
DR takes up 2/3 of the
Hispaniola with Haiti right
to the east of it.
 Traditional Food Habits and Staples
• Dominican cuisine is very similar to
its neighboring countries as it is an
adaptation of Spanish, African, and
Taino cooking methods/recipes
• “Sofrito” is the base of almost any
Dominican dish, it is essentially a
flavor blend which includes thyme,
salt, mashed garlic, parsley, onion,
green pepper, coriander/cilantro,
tomatoes, tomato paste, and vinegar.
Typically, you would make a larger
portion of this blend and store it in
the fridge to use as your primary
seasoning for when you cook
 Traditional Food Habits and Staples
• Yucca • Beef
• White rice • Chicken
• Goat
• Cassava
• Fish (bacalao)
• Potatoes
• Beans (most commonly red beans)
• Plantains
• Bananas
• Pigeon Peas
• Pork
 Sancocho Recipe
0-ounce) package Dominican longaniza sausage (optional)
uarts plus 1 1/2 cups water, divided
-pound) beef shank (1 1/2 inches thick)
ound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
hicken thighs with skin and bone
rge onion, chopped
ubanelle or other mild frying pepper, chopped
d bell pepper, chopped
blespoons chopped garlic (4 to 5 cloves)
cup chopped cilantro stems (from 2 bunches)
aspoon dried oregano
ound unripe (green) plantains
ound yuca
ound ñame
ound white yautía
ound calabaza (Caribbean pumpkin; often sold in large wedges) or butternut squash
ars corn, cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds
blespoons fresh Seville orange juice (or 3 tablespoons regular fresh orange juice plus 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice)
companiments: white rice; hot sauce; sliced avocado
sauce
cado
nish: chopped cilantro
 Sancocho Instructions
• Cook longaniza (if using) with 1/2 cup water in a 12-inch heavy skillet, covered, over medium heat, turning occasionally, until
browned on all sides and water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then transfer to an 8-quart
pot.
• Meanwhile, cut meat from beef shank into 1 1/2-inch pieces, reserving bone. Pat beef, pork, and chicken dry, putting them in
separate bowls. Toss meat in each bowl with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Heat fat in skillet over medium-high heat until hot, then add beef and bone in 1 layer and brown, turning occasionally, about 7
minutes. Transfer to pot with slotted spoon. Brown pork and chicken in separate batches in same manner, transferring to pot.
• Add onion, peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and sauté until softened. Add 1 cup water and boil, stirring and
scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Transfer vegetable mixture to pot. Add cilantro stems, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon
pepper, and remaining 3 quarts water to pot and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, then simmer, partially covered, stirring
occasionally, until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• While meat simmers, cut ends from plantains with a sharp small knife, then cut a lengthwise slit through peel. Beginning at slit,
pry off peel, then cut plantains crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces.
• Trim ends from yuca and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces, then peel, removing waxy brown skin and pinkish layer underneath.
Quarter lengthwise and cut out coarse center fiber.
• Peel ñame and yautía, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces and keep in a bowl of cold water.
• Seed and peel calabaza, then cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
• Add plantain and yuca to tender meat in pot and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Drain ñame and
yautía and add to pot along with calabaza, then simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove and discard
beef and chicken bones.
• Add corn and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until corn is tender and all root vegetables are very tender (yuca
should be translucent), 10 to 15 minutes. Sancocho broth should be slightly thickened from root vegetables; thin with additional
water if necessary. Stir in juice and reheat, then season with salt and pepper.
 Lifestyle and Meal Patterns
• In DR it is most common to cook family meals at home
• There are typically 3 meals a day :breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• For breakfast the most common dish is mangú topped with sauteed onions
accompanied by fried or scrambled eggs, salami, and fried cheese. This would
be called mangú con los tres golpes.
• Lunch is the most important meal of the day and it usually consists of white
rice and red beans accompanied by a protein (either pork, beef, or chicken) and
then a salad a any side you would like for example maduros. This is called La
Bandera Dominicana
• Dinner is typically lighter and it depends on the family but usually it would be
similar to lunch or you could have a stew.
 Communication Style, Societal Roles and
Family Importance
• Dominicans main language is spanish and they typically are very direct, eager, warm, polite,
and loud
• They are highly expressive and use touch to greet and talk to one another.
• It is very important to maintain eye contact during conversation
• Family is very important to Dominicans and it is quite common to find big households that
include elders, children, and adults
• There are also many family gatherings
• Women are usually seen in more submissive roles and take care of the household and children
• Men are usually the bread winners and seen as the “machos” of the house
• Throughout time however, we have seen more of a balance between the two but a slight
unbalance exists still
 System of Food Acquisition
• 30% of the land in DR is used for farming and growing crops such as
rice and sugarcane
• They are the second biggest Caribbean producer of sugarcane and
17% of the labor is made of farmers
• Coffee is another big cash crop present in DR
• Some of DR’s trading partners include Cuba and the U.S.
• Street vendors/tourists
 Economics that Influence Food Patterns
• Nearly 40% of people in the Dominican Republic live in poverty
• Causes include natural disasters and government corruption
• Because of this the leading kind of crime is theft
• People who live in poverty often lack access to clean water and
healthcare as well as a poor nutrition which causes underlying health
conditions
 Cultural Beliefs, Holidays and Religion
• The most predominant religion is Roman
Catholic so it is very common for families to
reserve Sundays for quality time and church
• The most important holidays in DR are
Easter, which is also accompanied by Good
Friday and “Semana Santa”, Christmas,
New Years, and Dominican Independence
day which is February 27
• During holidays it is common to have big
gatherings with a huge feast including all
staple dishes and before they eat they usually
pray for the food
 Health Beliefs
• Dominicans rely heavily on medical practitioners and they create a
very strong bond between them and often become apart of the family
• They believe in over the counter medications and remedies as well as
herbal teas
• One of the most common health conditions present in Dominicans is
diabetes
 Adaptation of Food Habits in the U.S.
• Here in the U.S. many Dominicans continue to stick to some of their
food habits with opening their restaurants here and cooking home
meals but they have also adapted to the culture here as more fast food
places have opened and even in the Dominican Republic it has become
a very tourist abundant area where they would serve more American
dishes.
 Resources
• https://theculturetrip.com/caribbean/articles/10-traditions-only-domini
can-can-understand/
• https://www.afsusa.org/countries/dominican-republic/#afs-nav-people
• https://www.dominicancooking.com/1370/about-dominican-cooking
• https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Indies-island-group-Atlantic-
Ocean
• https://www.borgenmagazine.com/poverty-in-the-dominican-republic-
2/