Sociologist Dagoberto Tejada explains that the "sancocho" originated with the Spanish colonizers. It’s peculiar taste and ingredients are the result of preparing a Spanish stew with locally found ingredients. The limelight will be on the "sancocho", the so-called national dish starting 17 November. The different types of sancocho will be judged. These include: sancocho prieto (dark sancocho), seven meat sancocho, guandules and red bean sancocho. Promoter Raúl Pérez Peña of Nocturnal TV show, has convinced the Ministry of Tourism, the Association of Hotels of Santo Domingo, the Ministry of Culture and the City of Santo Domingo to sponsor the First Sancocho Festival. The schedule of the festival is as follows: 17-18 November. Provincial contests to choose the best sancocho. Focus on restaurants and hotels. Santo Domingo contest will be held at the Hotel Meliá Santo Domingo, 4 pm. Saturday, 18 November. Talk on the "sancocho" as a cultural phenomenon and typical dish. Hotel Meliá Santo Domingo. 3:30 pm. Saturday, 25 November. Finals to choose the winner by region. 12 pm. Hotel V Centenario. Saturday, 2 December. National Sancocho Day. Restaurants and hotels will feature sancocho on the menu. Saturday, 9 December. A SONcocho Fiesta at the Fortaleza Ozama in the Colonial City. Awards ceremony. Dancing to the beat of Son and Perico Ripiao typical music. For more information, call 686-3451, 687-4676, 221-4660, exts. 2361 and 2208. (13 November 2000)
