The flavors of the Dominican Republic

In this article, I want to introduce you to the flavors of the Dominican Republic. The island is renowned for its exotic cuisine, but also for its organic cocoa, its local liqueurs like mamajuana, its rum, its Presidente beer (a local institution), and its famous premium cigars.

Here is the video of my first trip to the Dominican Republic, just to give you a taste of what it's like!

Just before the lockdown period, I had the chance to visit the Dominican Republic again for the Procigar 2020 festival, the must-attend event for cigar enthusiasts from all over the world. Once again, I realized that the Dominican Republic was not just about the beauty of its contrasting landscapes and its warm-hearted inhabitants. It is truly a multisensory destination with a palette of flavors to be discovered in the company of passionate locals in atypical places, often off the beaten path, such as cocoa farms, haciendas, popular neighborhoods, colmados, and many more

Dominican cuisine

When you think of the flavors of the Dominican Republic, you inevitably think of local cuisine. It is in the comedores, typical restaurants well-loved by locals, that you can savor the best specialties, delicious, colorful, and savory. You will find meats like goat, beef, pork, chicken prepared grilled or fried (pica pollo), but also seafood (fish, crabs, shrimp, lobster) accompanied by rice, beans, yucca, and tostones

The dishes to try in the Dominican Republic:

• Dominican flag: meat, rice, beans, plantain bananas and lettuce
• Chivo guisado: meat marinated with peppers, oregano, garlic and onion
• Tostones: the fried plantain bananas
• Mangù: mashed banana plantain mixed with fried onions
• Dominican Sancocho: a stew of 7 different meats
• Locrios: rice mixed with several varieties of meat
• Asopao: rice soup with chicken or seafood
• Chapea: White bean stew with sausage
• Yuca balls: manioc fritters stuffed with cheese
  

The cocoa plantations

The Dominican Republic is renowned as the world's leading exporter of organic cocoa, and the beans from its plantations are highly sought after by the world's greatest chocolate masters.

To learn more, I visited the El Sandero del Cacao plantation, located in San Francisco de Macoris, 1.40 hours by car from Las Terrenas (north) and Saint Domingue (south). There, we learned all about the process of chocolate production, from selecting the seeds for planting to the final product. It is a must-try for Dominican Republic flavors.

The Dominican Rum

Rum, also called ron, is the national drink in the Dominican Republic. Did you know that almost 80% of the production is destined for the local market? Here, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy this famous nectar, whether in cocktails or neat for those who prefer it dry. The most well-known rums are the Brugal, the Barcelo and the Bermudez, but for me I prefer the Matusalem

The mamajuana

Mamajuana is THE specialty of the Dominican Republic. It is a kind of flavored rum made from a mixture of peels and herbs with 1/2 rum, 1/4 red wine, and 1/4 honey. Mamajuana is an excellent aphrodisiac and is said to be the ideal remedy for rheumatism. You can enjoy mamajuana in many places in the Dominican Republic, but I recommend going to a colmado, a kind of popular neighborhood grocery store where everyone gathers.

The Dominican cigars

Among the flavors of the Dominican Republic, there are cigars. It is a country that is a must-visit in the global production of cigars. It is the leading exporter of premium cigars, ensuring a quality almost unparalleled in terms of the selection of tobacco leaves, flavors, and design quality. The main market is the United States, which imports nearly three hundred million cigars each year, but the European market is also in full development.

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Historically, cigars are associated with Cuba, the neighboring island, but when there was the revolution, nationalization of companies and the US embargo, producers settled in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s.

Cigars are firmly part of Dominican culture. A skill that is passed down from generation to generation today. To learn more about it, you must take an eco-tour and head to the heart of the island, in the region of Santiago de los Caballeros. The Cibao Valley is known for its microclimate and fertile lands, ideal conditions for tobacco production. It is here that the fincas (farms) and tabacalerias (cigars factories) are located.

On the occasion of the festival Procigar In 2020, I was able to learn a lot about the cigar world and meet enthusiasts at grand soirées. In the end, I equate this experience to that of wine tourism in France. As a true amateur, I was able to discover these farms, meet the owners of the country’s largest cigar brands, and discover the entire process of cigar production, learning how to savour a cigar by detecting its subtle aromas. An enriching and very exciting experience that I invite you to live during your next trip to Dominican Republic.

My favorites:
– The Davidoff house: the meeting with Klass and Hendrik Kelner, the owners of the farm
– La Flor Dominicana: the finca of Litto Gomez, the owner of the farm

Find out here How to smoke a cigar

Please come here for visiting cigar factories in the Dominican Republic

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