Salsa Picante

Is Salsa Picante available widely in DR?
Bottled or fresh-made?
Someone told me the food was rather bland,as per Central America.

Yes, Salsa Picante, or hot sauce is readily available in the DR. You can buy the US brand Tabasco, or the local Baldom, Jaja brands.

Yes, the food is pretty bland, especially if you are used to Mexican or Cajun food. I learned to make salsa from scratch while I was there.

Re: Bland?

I really wouldn't call Dominican food bland, in fact many of our dishes are too high in sodium :-( That Dominican food is not HOT is true, but it is very tasty and well seasoned (with tons of garlic, oregano, cilantro, annato, pepper, onions, you name it). First, try the dishes without the salsa picante and then see

Regards,
Natasha

Re: Bland?

Natasha is right on the money. I would say that sometimes we tend to overseason our food with all the condiments that we put in it. But to say Dominican Food is bland is far from the truth. It might not be spicy but it sure is tasty.

Salsa Picante vs. "Bland"

As a practicing gastrome, may I say that Dominican food is not, most definately NOT, "bland".

As the fair Natash has said, it is not "spicy" in the Chinese or Thai or Cajun manner, but it is certainly well seasoned, again, as Natasha has said.

Our cuisine has some very hot-> spicy<- dishes, such as Chivo Picante in the Western Cibao Valley, in places like Jaibon, Villa Lobo and Hato al Medio. There is the obligatory hot stuff added to soups, sancochos, and above all "quipes" and mondongos. Of course the fact that these dishes are usually accompanied by litres and litres of Presidente beer is another story.

There is, as always, some basis to the "bland" theory. If you eat yuca, platanos, rice and beans (made by non-expert), and the meat just fried, that is to say the typical Dominican Flag of a meal, you might have a basis for saying it is somewhat bland.

Most Americans, Canadians and Europeans call bland food, food that is not salted or seasoned at all. This is certainly not the case here. We probably use too much salt for starters and out consumption of garlic is over a pound per person per year--way over.

Final word on hot sause: Be very careful of the Dominican "aj?es picante"! It comes in two varieties, one round, like cherries, the other elongated and fairly small-three inches max. These make Habaneros look like candy, and have been known toblister the hands of ladys doing the cooking and the lips and mouth of those eating.

HB

Well, taking into account what the other posted messages say, maybe it depends on the area of the DR. I lived in a more rural area and had various Dominican dishes and they were bland to me. I am told that the rural areas have different types of food preparation as do different parts of the country, especially Santo Domingo and other tourist areas. They did use salt and garlic etc. but it was only a small amount since the garlic and peppers were more expensive at the colmados. Many times I only knew that garlic was in the dish b/c I watched/helped prepare the food.

Also, I was raised on eating Mexican food 2-3 times a week and I am used to spicy food. So since taste is subjective, I guess it depends on how spicy you like your food and what you are used to as well.

Bland Beans

You would of found the wealthier families beans to have all the necessary condiments. I have eaten many a bland "bandera", but with poor families. Dominican women take pride in food preparation and a huge smill always results when you compliment the women of the house on the quality of the meal. Just sit back and soon, a coffee will arrive.