Latin America
2
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
Culture:
The culture of Dominican Republic is a diverse mixture of different influences from around the world. The Dominican people and their customs have origins consisting predominately in a African & European cultural basis, with native Taíno influences.
Cuisine:
If we look at the cuisine of the Dominican Republic, we will see that the cuisine is predominantly a blend of Taino, Spanish and major African influences that it has been under for the last couple of centuries now. The Dominican Republic’s cuisine that you will find today is a combination of all the influences the region has had historically. The most typical meal from the cuisine of Dominican Republic would be quite similar to a meal that can be found in the cuisine of Latin America. Therefore, finding the traditional cuisine of Dominican Republic will indeed be a tedious task. The meals found in the cuisine of Dominican Republic have a tremendous similar taste of the meals in the Spanish cuisine. Perhaps not only the historic influence these other regions have had over Dominican Republic are solely responsible for the loss of its traditional and cultural heritage but also because the cuisine of Dominican Republic greatly uses the ingredients that are used to prepare cuisines of these other regions which have left a tremendous mark on Dominican Republic.
Universally it is known that the Dominican cuisine is not only easy but also very spontaneous and fun to prepare. The recipes to the cuisines of Dominican Republic’s cuisine have been notably passed through one generation to the next and so on. The unusual aspect of the Dominican Republic’s cuisines are that for breakfast there is usually a light meal, and the same light meal is prepared for dinner as well. Common meals in the cuisine of Dominican Republic are mangu which is usually accompanied by scrambled eggs and is usually topped with onions that are sautéed. Commonly a few pieces of boiled cassava or any other root is thought to be a great substitute for the mangu. You will notice that in the cuisines of Dominican Republic, dairy products such as cheese are immensely used in the region’s cuisines. The cuisines of Dominican Republic are fun to make, some of the recipes of these cuisines might require a little time, but overall they are extremely easy to prepare and a joy to serve and eat at the same time.
Preparing your Dominican cuisine from the abundant recipes that are found in the cuisines of Dominican Republic is not difficult at all. Some of the dishes might require some time, but most of them do not consume a lot of your time. Steamers and pressure pots are necessary. Using the right amount of spices, fresh fruits as well as vegetables is important while preparing your Dominican cuisine. It is always advised to use fresh vegetables and fruits to make your Dominican cuisine more authentic. Preparing a Dominican cuisine is quite simple and involves a great deal of fun. Make sure you have all the important utensils that are needed to prepare your Dominican meal to make it simply irresistible. On the whole, there are no specified methods of preparation for the Dominican Republic’s cuisine. The general methods of preparing any cuisine of the world are commonly applied to the preparation process of the Dominican Republic’s cooking as well.
There are very few ‘special’ utensils and equipment needed for preparing your meal from the cuisine of Dominican Republic. Non-stick pots and pans are useful and are found in most equipped kitchens, therefore you might not need to go and buy new ones if you have them already. You might also find spice grinders, food processors or electric blenders to be useful to make your cooking easy and joyful. Obtaining a few metal skewers for meat and vegetable threading is also a handy utensil. The traditional tea that is served is brewed over a common stove. On the whole, most of the equipment that you would need for preparing your Dominican Republics cuisine will most probably be already in your kitchen if your kitchen is up to date. However, if there is any other special equipment other than the ones mentioned here then you can easily find the common cooking equipment in most of the food departmental stores that will most definitely make your Dominican cuisine more enjoyable and pleasurable to make. Keep in mind that if you have the right equipment then your cooking will only be made much more hassle free and a lot more fun.
The food traditions and festivals in Dominican Republic are truly unique. Family meals are quite different. By and large, the male head of the family is served first by his wife, along with any visitors. After the wife has served the male head of the family and the guests then the children and the wife eat. Lunch is the imperative meal of the day in the traditional Dominican Republic custom. People usually come home from work to eat rather than dine outside of their homes. The breakfast and supper are relatively small in Dominican Republic whereas the dinner is grand. A traditional blessing of “buen provecho” is offered commonly before or during meals. The common festivals that are prevalent in Dominican Republic are Epiphany, Day of Duarte, February 27—Independence Day, Pan-American Day, Bachata Festival of Sousa, Columbus Day, and of course the Christmas Day. All these festivals are marked with a grand array of the traditional Dominican cuisine to be served and prepared. Moreover, other traditional customs such as weddings, birth of a baby, funerals etc., all call for the traditional food of the Dominican Republic to be served to the guests.
Music:
The music of the Dominican Republic is primarily influenced by West African traditions, with some minor European, and native Taino influences. The Dominican Republic is mainly known for its merengue and bachata music, both of which are the most popular forms of music in the country.
Palo is an Afro-Dominican sacred music that can be found throughout the island. The drum and human voice are the principal instruments. Palo is played at religious ceremonies—usually coinciding with saints' religious feast days—as well as for secular parties and special occasions. Its roots are in the Congo region of central-west Africa, but it is mixed with European influences in the melodies.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 45% Mulatto
* 40% Black
* 15% White
People:
The vast majority of Dominicans are Blacks and Mulattoes, descendants from West and Central Africans who were brought over as a result of slavery in the 16th and 19th century. Many Dominicans have Spanish ancestry from the colonial era particularly that of the Canary Islands who came in large numbers during the 1700s. The original inhabitants of the island, like all of the Americas were the Native Americans but in the case of Hispaniola were known as the Tainos.
In the 20th century, many Arabs (from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine), Japanese, and, to a lesser degree, Koreans settled in the country as agricultural laborers and merchants. The Chinese companies found business in telecom, mining, and railroads. The Arab community is rising at an increasing rate and is estimated at 80,000.
Languages:
Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic. They also speak a local dialect in informal situations and it is simply known as Dominican Spanish. Dominican Spanish has its roots in Andaluzian and Canarian Spanish but with strong influences from West African languages. There are also many words and minor influences from Taino and Portuguese.
Religion:
The many kinds of religion in the Dominican Republic have been growing and changing. Historically, Catholicism dominated the religious practices of the small country. In modern times Protestant and non-Christian groups, like Buddhists, Jews, and Muslims, have experienced a population boom.
The Dominican Republic, being a nation full of African heritage was able to preserve some African religions, and aspects of them. A lot of the Afro-Caribbean religions in the country are syncretized with Catholicism, but not all to the same extent. Some may only use the image of saints but be completely Africanized in every other aspects. While some may be fully Christian with some African aspects.
Economy:
The Dominican Republic has the ninth largest economy in Latin America, and is the largest in the Caribbean and Central region. It is an upper middle-income developing country primarily dependent on mining, agriculture, trade, and services. Although the service sector has recently overtaken agriculture as the leading employer of Dominicans (due principally to growth in tourism and Free Trade Zones), agriculture remains the most important sector in terms of domestic consumption and is in second place (behind mining) in terms of export earnings. Tourism accounts for more than $1 billion in annual earnings. Free trade zone earnings and tourism are the fastest-growing export sectors. According to a 1999 International Monetary Fund report, remittances from Dominican Americans, are estimated to be about $1.5 billion per year. Most of these funds are used to cover basic household needs such as shelter, food, clothing, health care and education. Secondarily, remittances have financed small businesses and other productive activities. Around 70% of Dominicans suffer from poverty.
Sports:
Sports are a central part of the culture of the Dominican Republic, and have been practiced in the whole territory since the native inhabitants were living in the island. Sports play a key role in the culture and makeup of Dominican Republic society. The Dominican Republic is statistically one of the poorest countries in the world, however sports provide the citizens of the country with a way out. Specifically, baseball is the most popular sport on the island and Major League Baseball has been recruiting players from the Dominican Republic since the 1960s. Association football (Soccer) is the second sport of the country.
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