Explore The Dominican Republic –

Enjoy the Food, Lifestyle and Coffee.

When you explore a new country, some of the greatest insights into the culture comes through its food.  Foods that you find in the barrios of both cities and mountain villages often contain a piece of history of the country itself.  Foods that have been prepared from generation to generation for hundreds of years tell a story.

So, let’s take a look at Dominican Cuisine. The Dominican Republic is not known for its’ food on an international level like other Caribbean nations such as Jamaica,  Martinque and Gaudeloupe.  Dominican food is simple and filling.  The staples in the Dominican diet are rice, yuca, plantains, beans, chicken and believe it or not, salami.   On the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts you can add Fried Chillo ( Red snapper ) to the above list.

Pork is a favorite in the DR, but it’s just a bit more expensive, so it really isn’t considered a staple in the diet.  It is, however, an important part of the food culture of the Dominican Republic and this we cannot overlook.  Slow cooking a whole pig over an open fire is the center piece of special occasions; weddings, birthdays, and Semana Santa ( Holy Week ).

My favorite pork dish in the Dominican Republic are chicharrónes.  Every Latin American country features Chicharrónes on the culinary chart of the most awesome foods available. Chicharrónes are deep fried pork bellies served with a heavy splash of Wasakaka sauce.   If you love bacon, then Chicharrónes will be next level for you.  They are a favorite from capital city of Santo Domingo to the Dominican Mountains and in the villages along the coast.  You can typically find chicharrones in food trucks which are pickup trucks with a propone burner and an iron pot full of oil in the back.

Wasakaka sauce is magical.   It is made with bitter orange juice, oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.  These are the foundation Ingredients in Dominican Wasakaka sauce and it elevates the layers of flavor of all grilled foods.  ( You must try it on grilled chicken) .  When I discovered this delicacy, I put away my homemade proprietary Carolina Vinegar based Bar-B-Que Sauce and use Wasakaka sauce on smoked ribs and pulled pork.  It also makes an outstanding salad dressing.

We have added a video below with a Chicharrónes Recipe and have listed a Wasakaka Sauce Recipe.  Notice that when the chef is preparing the chicharrónes, she is making a marinade of lime juice, salt, pepper and oregano. ( Wasakaka anyone? ) If you cannot find bitter orange juice ( and the orange must be really bitter ) , you can use lime juice.

Manabao Roasters will continue with this Dominican Food exploration for few months. By the end, you will have some really good, authentic Dominican Recipes.

Wasakaka Sauce Recipe

¼ cup olive oil

4 Tbs pressed garlic

½ cup bitter orange juice or lime juice

½ cup of water

¼ cup minced parsley. You can also use Cilantro which along with Oregano used in a lot of Dominican Dishes

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground oregano

Heat oil over low heat, sauté garlic for about 2  minutes. Add orange juice and water, wait for the heat to come back up and add the rest of the ingredients.  Heat for about 3 to 5 minutes.  You just want the flavors to meld.

If you want to use garlic powder, that is just fine.  Start with ½ tbs and add more until it fits your taste.

Keep coming back and explore the Dominican Republic with us.  If you visit the DR, please let us know and maybe we can buy you a cup of coffee.

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