Interlude: Dominican Junk Food

If there's one secret about me that's been revealed here in the DR, it is this: I am a closet junk food eater. It is difficult for me to admit this in public, especially given the fact that I'm studying to be a doctor and all. But no matter where I go, I can't help but be absolutely fascinated by the wide variety of  yummy snacks that people eat to clog their arteries.

So here's a whirlwind tour of the junk food of the DR. Unfortunately, I don't have pics of the "good" traditional junk food (a.k.a dulce de leche) that people *should* be eating when they visit another country. Nope--my junk food stash is the starving student's version, otherwise known as an emphasis on stuff that can be bought at the store or on the street for super cheap...:-)

1) Cookies



Dominicans love their cookies. That said, don't expect to find a lot of oversized chewy chocolate chip cookies a la Mrs. Fields. The hot, humid climate, in addition to the necessity of snacking on the run, has inspired a wide variety of sandwich cookies. My favorites are the "Mabel Mais" cookies in the yellow/red/white package, in the flavors Dulce de Leche and White Chocolate.

But what's most fun about cookies in the DR are the wild, zany flavors. The one on the bottom right is a pack of cream coookies with an orange filling. It was simply delightful--a bit like a cookie version of an orange creamsicle. My favorite "exotic" cookie, however, comes from the "Dino" line. These cookies definitely take the cake in terms of strange flavors, ranging from bubble gum to tropical punch. Pictured here are the green apple cookies, which taste surprisingly good. They also have the added benefit of imparting a green tinge to the tongue, hence the phrase "pintas lenguas verde" (paint tongues green) on the label...

2) Chocolate


So, I only have one thing to say: chocolate is not very impressive here in the DR. Most of the good stuff is imported from either the U.S. or Europe. I did try the Italian-manufactured Kinder "Bueno," which had chocolate-covered wafers with a smooth hazelnut filling. Being a hazelnut fanatic, I of course found these delectable, though I found myself unsatisfied by the relatively small serving size...

The other candy bar, "Mas-Mas" (more, more), which is made by a Dominican company, was much less impressive. Though it claimed to be milk chocolate, its texture was grainy and bitter. Indeed, the only novel selling point was its curious mix of ingredients: milk, raisins, and peanuts. The good news is that I paid about 14 pesos (a little over 33 cents), so at least I wasn't losing out on any money...

3) Chips (and salty snacks)



My somewhat hum-drum chocolate experience was redeemed by chips. Now this, the Dominicans do with style! I was delighted by the various salty snacks made of different starches such as yuca, plantains, and batata. There were also Pringles with a delightful "Limon" flavor, which was perfectly tart and zesty.

But by far the most exotic chip compilation was the "Mofongo Snax." It is patterned after the traditional Dominican "Mofongo" dish, which is pictured below:



For those who don't know, a Mofongo generally consists of mashed up plaintains, yuca, and fried meat. The chip version sought to recreate it through a mix of pork rinds, yuca and plaintain chips. Interesting concept, no doubt...

Well, that's all for the cultural junk food tour. Will return to serious posts shortly, but stay tuned for the next interlude of "food porn..." :-)