Jaunted

Of course, in your quest for authentic food in the D.R., you could take the easy way out and order up some chicharrón de pollo, but sooner or later you will have to meet the plantain. Whether you will find it pleasant or not depends on your tolerance of a starch which in its natural state is neither salty nor particularly sweet.

Tackle them like this: Tostones are slices of plantain which have been deep-fried like really thick starchy chips, easy to stomach for almost all but the most taste-averse visitors. Mangu, a breakfast dish made of plantains peeled while still green, is like hash browns with a twist, so let's call that an intermediate step, because at least you can mix it with your fried eggs.

But if you're truly brave, mofongo awaits: A dish of mashed plantains mixed with meat (can be chicken, beef, pork or seafood) shaped into little balls, it can be downright scary for the neophyte, particularly with a waiter who cannot completely describe what it is. (Even if you speak Spanish, some waiters will not be deterred from what they know is best for you; what a kick it was to order a dish of "traditional Dominican foods" and be told, point blank, we were not allowed to have it, because we wouldn't like it. Whatever it was.) The consistency of mofongo is slightly soft, and often it is dipped in some kind of sauce; to get to a meta-gourmet level, someone we ate with described it as "poi, but with meat flavor in it."

Okay, so the traditional Dominican meal wasn't really for us. At least we topped it off with some incredible juice (made from oranges, mangos, papayas, or a mix of all of these) and an emigrant from Puerto Rico, the piña colada, which doesn't even need rum to be refreshing.

Related Stories:
· Desayuno Tipico @ Fernando's Kaffee [Jaunted]
· Jaunted in Puerto Rico: The Best Eats [Jaunted]
· Dominican Republic Field Trip [Jaunted]

[Photo: drbrain]