04Experiences

The table

Island cooking

Dominican cooking blends Spanish, Taíno and African influences, with later touches from the British Caribbean and China in some towns. Mangú is a staple breakfast of boiled green plantain mashed smooth, served with pickled red onion and often with fried cheese, salami and eggs in the popular “three hits” plate. Sancocho is a thick meat and root-vegetable stew for gatherings and family tables, with cousins in neighbouring countries. Daily meals often bring rice, beans and meat in colours that echo the national flag. Cacao is grown in several parts of the island, and farms near the eastern coast sometimes open half-day tours that explain the pod and roasting. Eat in neighbourhood restaurants outside resort walls if you want clearer prices and a taste closer to home cooking, and try a local breakfast at least once before returning to the international hotel menu.