Dominican Republic food typically has African, Taino, and Spanish influences. The Taino people were seafarers and relatives of South American Arawak people. They were the first inhabitants of the Dominican Republic. The Spaniards occupied the country from in 1492 when it was first reached by Christopher Columbus. The Spanish rule ended in 1697 when Spain, through the Treaty of Ryswick, ceded the country to France. African slaves were brought into the country by the Spaniards to augment the labor force needed in the sugar cane plantations. Thus, Dominican food is heavily influenced by the Africans, the Tainos, and the Spaniards.
Breakfast typically include mangu, a delicious puree of mashed plantains, yucca or yautia. Mangu is of West African origin although the term mangu is said to have originated from an English language expression. In 1916, during the US invasion of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, the puree that was served to the US service personnel were so good that they exclaimed “man, this is good!”. But this is just apocryphal lore and story. Mangu is known in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Africa as fufu.
Arroz con leche is a food of Spanish origin. Rice pudding, as arroz con leche is commonly known in English speaking countries, is a mixture of rice mixed with milk or water and sometimes with raisins and cinnamon. It is typically eaten during dinner or desserts. When eaten as dessert, sweetener is added. Dominicans often cook arroz con leche with rice, milk, cinnamon, star anise, sugar, and cloves.
Casabe is a type of thin flatbread made with cassava root which is bitter to the taste, and without leavening. It was known to be of Taino origin. Because casabe is thin and crispy, it is eaten like crackers. It can be eaten with other dishes. It can also be eaten alone.
Food in the Dominican Republic also resembles food from neighboring countries, Cuba and Puerto Rico. So reserve some time during your next Dominican Republic Vacation to taste the real local dishes, you will be surprised.