Spicy Food in the DR

suarezj519

Member
May 14, 2014
115
1
18
Okay, so I'm addicted to spicy food, and everytime I come here it's like I'm detoxing from it. I literally put that baldom Ranchero picante on everything and personally I'm not crazy about it. I've searched many stores and it always seems that anything spicy has a hefty price ex. Pepper jack cheese, spicy sausage, etc. . It literally drives my girlfriend and relatives here nuts that I can take so much spice. I know Dominicans don't eat too much spicy food as many think black pepper is too much from my experience. Now my main question is, where the heck can I enjoy some good spicy food and purchase sauces and other things. I absolutely love Sriracha (huy gong brand with the rooster) but the only store here in SD that sold it was su perforés (I've seen it at sushi and Chinese joints, but they said they got it at la sirena? Never saw it there. If anyone knows where to get that and not that crappy Roland brand that would be great.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
i'm a huuuge lover of condiments. we buy lots of spicy sauces. here in puerto plata even jose luis has frank's red hot and choula and a variety of chili paste/sauce, different brands. playero in sosua has a good selection too.

i rarely venture to SD but i regularly shop in santiago. both el nacional and bravo have some fancy imported condiments so i would check those in SD as well. there is also super fresh market store on tiradentes that has tons of fancy imported goodies. and supermercado asiatico on 27 de febrero.

if you feel adventurous you can make your own spicy sauce/food. i recently made kimchi and it came out pretty tasty. sometimes homemade is the best option.
 

suarezj519

Member
May 14, 2014
115
1
18
i'm a huuuge lover of condiments. we buy lots of spicy sauces. here in puerto plata even jose luis has frank's red hot and choula and a variety of chili paste/sauce, different brands. playero in sosua has a good selection too.

i rarely venture to SD but i regularly shop in santiago. both el nacional and bravo have some fancy imported condiments so i would check those in SD as well. there is also super fresh market store on tiradentes that has tons of fancy imported goodies. and supermercado asiatico on 27 de febrero.

if you feel adventurous you can make your own spicy sauce/food. i recently made kimchi and it came out pretty tasty. sometimes homemade is the best option.

Since I've been gone a year and recently got back, literally all of these stores do not carry much anymore. I went today to superfresh and nacional and most of the good imported stuff is not there anymore. I believe supermercado asiático closed down, not entirely sure. I literally shop at every supermarket around here in SD because not every store has the things I'm looking for or they're priced too high (I'm cheap) haha. My next option is probably head to Chinatown and see there. I love making Thai fried rices and other Asian dishes. I eat mainly Dominican food here obviously, but I love to indulge once in a while and that Ranchero salsa picante isn't cutting it right now. I'm literally dying for some Sriracha haha.
 

VJS

Bronze
Sep 19, 2010
846
0
36
You need to find Korean and Chinese stores in SD, they'll have what you need.
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
11,747
1,343
113
Every larger grocery store carries Huy Fong chili garlic paste.
Tabasco is child's play.
 

Fulano2

Bronze
Jun 5, 2011
3,287
621
113
Europe
Ask a campesino if he has any " ajies picantes " on his land. . We are really used to eat heavy hot hot, I mean tabasco is for kids. I buy at Jeanet in Cabarete " sambal oelek", it looks like indonesian but is to  sweet, then I ad ajies picantes to it, from our patio and is more or less ok. The real stuff I bring from Holland, dried peppers from India :)
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
I now use Sriracha instead of Franks for wings...

I like it has just a hint of sweetness instead of a heavy vinegar taste.

Also, FWIW, when I had my restaurant that specialized in wings, we used liquid margarine to make the wing sauce. I'd buy it 20 gallons at a time at Sam's, but have not seen it in the DR. So I finally found using "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" is a solid substitute over both butter and regular margarine in making wing sauce that sticks on the wings withiour being too thin, or too goopy.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
Welcome to the land that spice forgot.

Like you, I eat HOT spiced foods when possible. I make do with purchasing and drying the hottest chilies I can find when they are available. Then I make my own sauce or use them in cooking. I am not a great fan of almost all of those sauces mentioned above because most contain vinegar as a preservative. It is very rare to find anything like habaneros on the north coast.
 
Jul 28, 2014
1,718
0
0
Supermercado Playero in Sosua, as previously stated, has a good selection, I can only assume the subsequent ones in other cities follow suit.
 
Jul 28, 2014
1,718
0
0
It is very rare to find anything like habaneros on the north coast.


Gotta do what CCCCCCCCC recommended a while back in a post, fill a cereal box with seeds when you plan on returning from home, then when you get back to La R.D. go nuts in the garden and be the envy of all the gringos with the plethora of stuff people cant find.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
Gotta do what CCCCCCCCC recommended a while back in a post, fill a cereal box with seeds when you plan on returning from home, then when you get back to La R.D. go nuts in the garden and be the envy of all the gringos with the plethora of stuff people cant find.

I would, but I hate gardening as much as I like spicy food.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
restaurant meson d'bari in zona colonial also sells their own spicy sauce.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Okay, so I'm addicted to spicy food, and everytime I come here it's like I'm detoxing from it. I literally put that baldom Ranchero picante on everything and personally I'm not crazy about it. I've searched many stores and it always seems that anything spicy has a hefty price ex. Pepper jack cheese, spicy sausage, etc. . It literally drives my girlfriend and relatives here nuts that I can take so much spice. I know Dominicans don't eat too much spicy food as many think black pepper is too much from my experience. Now my main question is, where the heck can I enjoy some good spicy food and purchase sauces and other things. I absolutely love Sriracha (huy gong brand with the rooster) but the only store here in SD that sold it was su perforés (I've seen it at sushi and Chinese joints, but they said they got it at la sirena? Never saw it there. If anyone knows where to get that and not that crappy Roland brand that would be great.

In an effort to make cocktail sauce for shrimp I substitued wasabi paste for horseradish. Not exact but not a bad. You can find wasabi in most supermarkets. It is very hot. A little goes a long way.
 

ExDR

Member
Jul 31, 2014
421
0
16
Okay, so I'm addicted to spicy food, and everytime I come here it's like I'm detoxing from it. I literally put that baldom Ranchero picante on everything and personally I'm not crazy about it. I've searched many stores and it always seems that anything spicy has a hefty price ex. Pepper jack cheese, spicy sausage, etc. . It literally drives my girlfriend and relatives here nuts that I can take so much spice. I know Dominicans don't eat too much spicy food as many think black pepper is too much from my experience. Now my main question is, where the heck can I enjoy some good spicy food and purchase sauces and other things. I absolutely love Sriracha (huy gong brand with the rooster) but the only store here in SD that sold it was su perforés (I've seen it at sushi and Chinese joints, but they said they got it at la sirena? Never saw it there. If anyone knows where to get that and not that crappy Roland brand that would be great.

So why not take a small bottle of "Insanity" sauce with you when you go to DR? It's made with hell fire and if you can stand it, much respect to you. It will last you years b/c it only takes what a toothpick can lift up to make a pot of soup unpalatable. Enjoy. https://store.davesgourmet.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DAIN
 

RDKNIGHT

Bronze
Mar 13, 2017
2,715
1,435
113
Since I've been gone a year and recently got back, literally all of these stores do not carry much anymore. I went today to superfresh and nacional and most of the good imported stuff is not there anymore. I believe supermercado asiático closed down, not entirely sure. I literally shop at every supermarket around here in SD because not every store has the things I'm looking for or they're priced too high (I'm cheap) haha. My next option is probably head to Chinatown and see there. I love making Thai fried rices and other Asian dishes. I eat mainly Dominican food here obviously, but I love to indulge once in a while and that Ranchero salsa picante isn't cutting it right now. I'm literally dying for some Sriracha haha.
I'll Bring you few Bottles PM