Food Specialty

Because it is said that the road to a person's heart is via their stomach, traditional Dominican food will make anyone fall madly in love with this Caribbean country. Dominican cuisine reflects the country's rich history, culture, traditions, and identity, including recipes and ingredients from native Tainos, Spanish conquistadors, and African slaves, seasoned with flavors from throughout the world.

Sancocho, one of the most popular dishes in the country, is served during parties and special occasions such as New Year's Eve. Meat, veggies, tubers, and sauces are all used to make this rich stew. It is always served with white rice and sliced avocado, but there are variations, as with any traditional dish. Sancocho "classic" is cooked from yam, squash, malanga (yautia), and yucca, among other tubers and edible plants, is grown in the Dominican Republic. Diced corn on the cob, garlic, lemon juice, green plantain, cilantro, oregano, salt, oil, and other seasonings are included.

It can be light or dark in color depending on whether it is made entirely of chicken or with different species of plantain, as well as beef, goat, and hog. Sancocho with green pigeon peas or red beans is another option. The house specialty is the sancocho de siete carnes (seven-meat stew), which includes chicken, hog, beef, goat, Creole chicken, smoked ribs and chops, and longaniza sausage. A gathering of true carnivores! Sancocho, by the way, is a popular hangover remedy in the Dominican Republic.