What's the Dominican Republic National Dish? That's a question we get very often, and the answer is a bit more complicated than just naming one dish. See which dishes are the best candidates for that title, and which could be the official Dominican drink and dessert.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Oct 26, 2022
Dominican National Dish
The Dominican Republic doesn't have an official national dish, but we can confidently say that most Dominicans would include La Bandera Dominicana, Sancocho, or Mangú con Los Tres Golpes among their main choices for the title of Official Dominican National Dish.
We may not be able to reach a unanimous agreement on which one tops the list, but they are clear contenders for the title.
La Bandera Dominicana
The first dish is La Bandera Dominicana, our traditional daily lunch dish. It consists of white rice, stewed beans, and stewed meat - either beef, chicken, pork, often accompanied by a salad and maybe tostones, or avocado. La Bandera is a strong contender for the title of Dominican national dish, especially as its name literally means the Dominican flag.
Sancocho
The second potential Dominican national dish is our beloved Sancocho dominicano, a hearty, tasty stew or soup made with up to seven different types of meat, and root vegetables, usually prepared for special occasions and large gatherings and ideally served with white rice and sliced avocado.
Mangú con Los tres golpes
The third candidate would be this staple Dominican breakfast, Mangú con Los tres golpes. This substantial platter consists of plantain mash, sauteed onions, fried eggs, fried Dominican salami, and Queso frito (fried cheese). This dish is our quasi-official breakfast but also makes for a perfect brunch or dinner.
Other dishes
Runners up for the title include daily staples like Pollo guisado (stewed chicken), a seafood specialty in the shape of Pescado con coco (fish in coconut milk sauce), Moro de habichuelas or Moro de guandules (rice with beans or pigeon peas) and the oregano-infused taste of Chivo guisado liniero (spicy goat meat stew).
All of these dishes fall under the category of traditional Dominican food, and any of them could be awarded the title of the national dish of the Dominican Republic, along with several others.
Dominican Republic National Drink
But how about drinks? Does the Dominican Republic have an official drink?
We actually don't, but these are the most likely popular choices for the title.
Morir soñando
Morir soñando, our wonderful iced orange juice blended with milk has to be on the list of nominees for the national drink of the Dominican Republic. It's creamy, heavenly, and refreshing, and can also be made with chinola (passionfruit) or lime juice.
Mamajuana
Mamajuana or Mama Juana is also up there among the top choices for our national drink. This famous Dominican alcoholic beverage is spiced with cinnamon, medicinal leaves and bark, and herbs - among other things. Very few visitors leave the country without sampling its delights.
Other drinks
In the hot beverages section, who could forget el cafecito, a strong, sweet cup of Dominican coffee as a more than worthy candidate to represent the country on the national stage? Dominican coffee is one of our main exports, highly rated all over the world.
Dominican Republic National Dessert
This is another question we often get: Is there a Dominican National Dessert? And the answer is that we don't have an official National dessert. We have way too many great dishes to choose from, but we dare name these three be the top contenders for the title.
Habichuelas con dulce
Habichuelas con dulce, our distinctively sweet beans Dominican dessert made with pink, pinto, or red kidney beans, batata (sweet potato) milk, raisins, and spices. It is traditionally eaten during Lent and Easter and has to be up there among the winners. Dominicans are justly proud of this quirky delicacy.
Arroz con leche
Arroz con leche dominicano is a dessert found in most Latin American countries and many other parts of the world. The Dominican version is not like any rice pudding you've ever tried, flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, and other Dominican spices like cloves.
Majarete
Majarete dominicano is a smooth, creamy dessert made with corn and delicately spiced with cinnamon and other spices. Dominicans of all ages love it and you will too. Although it shares its name with a dessert eaten in Cuba and Puerto Rico, our Dominican majarete is different.
Other desserts
We have many more desserts that could absolutely be great contenders for the title of Dominican National Dessert, and I didn't want to fail to mention them: Bizcocho Dominicano, our fabulous Dominican cake with pineapple or guava filling, Arepa, a Dominican cornmeal dense cake.
Do you have any other dishes you'd like to nominate to the title of THE Dominican National dish? We'd love to hear it, and why! Let us know in the comments.
FAQs
The Dominican Republic hasn't got an official national dish, but the most representative dishes of Dominican cuisine include La Bandera Dominicana, Sancocho, and Mangú con Los tres golpes.
The most likely food (as opposed to a Dominican dish) to qualify for national status would be plantains. Green plantains are used to make mangú and tostones, ripe plantains are used to make Fritos maduros. Plátano power has in recent years become synonymous with Dominican identity and national pride, so, unofficially at least, plantains have become a national emblem.
The most popular foods in the Dominican Republic, like many other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, include rice, beans, plantains, different types of meat, dishes made with coconut, and root vegetables like yuca (cassava) and yautía (taro). Avocados, bananas, and mangos also have a special place in almost every Dominican heart.
There is no official national drink, but many Dominicans would almost certainly vote for Morir Soñando (orange and milk juice), Mamajuana (or Mama Juana) an alcoholic drink made with rum, herbs, and spices, or perhaps the iconic fría (extra-iced beer). If we're talking hot drinks, we can't omit to mention a strong, sweet cup of Dominican coffee, freshly brewed in a greca, as a drink that represents the Dominican Republic.
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