Dominican Republic food is a mix of Spanish influences and those of
the native Taino Indians. Columbus claimed and subsequently exploited
the island on his first voyage in 1492. Many of those Spanish traits are
still present and you will definitely notice a Latin American feel to
the island and its cuisine. Seeing the way Spanish dishes like Paella
have become truly Dominican dishes is interesting. They are still
essentially Spanish, but ingredients and flavors have changed to reflect
fresh ingredients available in the average Dominican household.

Their
cuisine is not as spicy as you may expect after visiting other islands
in the West Indies. The main spices used in Dominican recipes are
onions, garlic, coriander and oregano. In fact, much of the livestock on
the island graze on wild oregano which gives Dominican dishes a kind of
pre-marinated flavor. What Dominicans tend to eat depends highly on
where they live, near the Sea or in the mountains. Regardless, most
Dominican meat dishes tend to involve goat meat as the animals are
farmed quite heavily on the island. The Dominican Republic does have
excellent cattle, but they tend to export the bulk of their prime beef
stock. Keep in mind that meat dishes tend to be very well cooked or even
stewed in Dominican restaurants, a tradition stemming from lesser
availability of refrigeration on the island.