Sharing Sancocho and Other Dishes

Dominican Cake

In the Dominican Republic, food is used as a way for people to gather and spend time together. Sunday is the day when these meetings occur. Often times, people show up to a house without any sort of planning. Instead of being thought of as rude and intrusive, the impromptu host is glad that the guests have come to share their company. At this point, the traditional Sancocho dish is made and eaten (Visiting the Dominican Republic).  During the week, lunch is the largest meal consumed and everyone comes home to enjoy it. But, supper is also eaten as a family and is not served until all family members are home from school and work (Morris and Ismail 40). This creates a very family oriented atmosphere that is important to the Dominicans. There is also a large street food culture. One of the most common made is the pateslito, which is essentially a savory meat turnover (Morris and Ismail 41).  Some families eat out at restaurants , but if you want something quick, many frequent the colmados, which serve as both a grocery store and a bar. Either you can gather ingredients quickly for the meal you wish to prepare or grab a quick drink with a friend (Clammer, Grosberg, Porup 68). To celebrate any sort of family occasion, a Dominican cake is made. “There are three parts to it. First, there is the very rich cake, and then comes the equally rich pineapple filling. The cake is then topped with a caramel-infused meringue”(Albala 123). Because of the time and effort put into the creation of the cake, it is seen as a sort of labor of love, hence why it is for special family occasions (Albala 123).  Overall, the Dominicans think of food as being an agent for bringing loved ones together.

References

Albala, Ken. “Dominican Republic”. Culture of the World Encyclopedia. California: ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2011.

Clammer, Paul, Michael Grosberg, and Jens Porup. Dominican Republic and Haiti. California: Lonely Planet, 2008.

Morris, Kerry-Ann, and Nafisah Ismail. Dominican Republic. Wisconsin: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2004.

Visiting the Dominican Republic. Ruth Ramos, Esther Ramos, and Al G. Smith. 2005-2011. 1 December 2011. < http://www.visiting-the-dominican-republic.com/food-of-the-dominican-republic.html>.