La Bandera, the Dominican Republic's National Dish

La Bandera, the Dominican Republic’s National Dish

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La Bandera Dominican Food

If you enjoy trying foods from various cultures but cannot travel, you could start a food bucket list of recipes you would like to try.

Don’t know where to start?

You could peruse the list of latin national dishes for each country around the globe, and add the ones that appeal to you the most to your bucket list.

But a great place to begin is with one of the Dominican Republic’s most famous foods, La Bandera.

La Bandera is the national dish of the Dominican Republic. This dish consists of rice, red beans, and meat. Most often served for lunch or dinner, a salad and a side dish usually complete the meal. The literal Spanish to English translation for La Bandera is ‘The Flag.’

Part of the enjoyment of trying food from other cultures is learning about the history behind it.

We hope you’ll enjoy the recipes we’ll share with you as we learn more about La Bandera together, and those recipes will include side dishes you can pair with this Dominican entree.

Let’s get started!

The Origins of La Bandera

The ingredients of La Bandera say a lot about Dominican culture.

They suggest that it is a humble society that survived and fed its families in whatever way they could.

Noticeable Differences Between American and Dominican Cuisine

In the United States, dinner is usually the largest meal of the day. In the Dominican Republic, the most important meal is lunch.

Rice is a side dish to most Americans. For Dominicans, rice makes up most of the entrée.

Using rice as a staple makes sense because it is versatile, inexpensive, and filling.

Why Is the Type of Meat Flexible for La Bandera Recipes?

Just like rice, chicken is an inexpensive ingredient to use in La Bandera recipes.

However, the rule is to use whatever meat that you have available. If you don’t have meat or fish, then spaghetti, or the ‘meat of the poor,’ would have to do. 

How La Bandera Represents the Dominican Republic Tri-Colored Flag

Although we could not find an approximate date for how long ago La Bandera came into existence, we know that it represents the Dominican Republic’s flag.

The earliest this national dish could have existed was in the 1840s when the Dominicans declared their independence from Haiti. 

How does La Bandera represent the red, white, and blue?

The meat represents the blue in the flag, which stands for liberty.

As you may have guessed, the rice means white, which signifies salvation.

The red beans represent the red or the blood of heroes.

Main Ingredients for Making La Bandera

  • Red beans are the traditional choice for La Bandera. It represents the red in the red, white, and blue Dominican Republic flag. Again, the culture encourages you to use what you have. That is why it is perfectly acceptable to use other kinds of beans, such as black or white beans or pigeon peas. Farmers cultivated red beans in East Asia. Natives used them for desserts, but they still work well for savory dishes, like La Bandera.

 

  • The rice used in La Bandera is usually white. White rice goes through a process called milling, followed by a good polishing. Because the process strips away some of the nutrients, the government requires that the manufacturer enriches the final product with vitamin Bs and iron. 

 

  • The type of meat used in La Bandera is flexible. Chicken is the most common meat of choice because it is the least costly. Cooks can also use beef, pork, goat, or fish, whatever they have on-hand. No matter what type of meat you opt to incorporate, it must be stewed or guisado. 

How to Make La Bandera for Your Family

La Bandera, Dominican National Dish
La Bandera, Dominican National Dish

Now it’s time for you to try making La Bandera at home. 

Find the easiest ways to make rice, beans, stewed meat, and salad below.

For preparing both the red beans and the protein of your choice, you will need a deep pot that comes with a lid, like this highly-rated 11 in (27.9 cm)  Blue Diamond Cookware Multi-function Chef’s Pan.

This pan is oven, broiler, and dishwasher-safe.

Prepare the White Rice in the Microwave

If you can live without the concon, which is the rice that sticks to the pot’s bottom, you can easily prepare the white rice in the microwave.

The Home-X Microwave Rice Cooker lets you prepare the rice in 20 minutes.

  1. Put two parts water and one part uncooked rice in the rice cooker.
  2. Stir the contents briefly to make sure the rice on the bottom is wet.
  3. Cover it and microwave the rice cooker at 70% power for 18 minutes on high.
  4. Have the rice sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Create Stewed Red Beans Quickly

Dominican Red Beans
Dominican Red Beans, Key Ingredient for La Bandera

The ingredients for the stewed red beans called for in La Bandera vary from one recipe to another.

Usually, you would simmer the beans and flavorful ingredients for a long time, either in a pot or in a slow cooker.

If you don’t have the time for such a long cooking period, you could consider this recipe for easy Dominican beans: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=255gWx18qzA

How to Stew Meat Dominican Style

The base of Dominican stew is usually tomatoes and onions.

The other ingredients may vary slightly.

This recipe for Dominican stewed beef looks like it would be delicious served with red beans and rice.

According to the video how-to, much of the stew’s flavor comes from tomato sauce, red onions, Worcestershire sauce, and sofrito:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdc_flkb07E

What Goes in a Dominican Salad?

In addition to a side dish, you will serve salad with your La Bandera.

Dominicans usually do a simple salad with almost every meal. A green salad consists of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

You can add more veggies, such as peppers and onions, but it isn’t necessary.

For the salad dressing, just oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper will do.

Popular Side Dishes to Serve with La Bandera

La Bandera Side Dishes; Pan de Coco, Yaniqueque, Tostones & Arepitas de Maiz
La Bandera Side Dishes; Pan de Coco, Yaniqueque, Tostones & Arepitas de Maiz

There are several popular Dominican side dishes you can serve with your La Bandera in addition to a salad.

Here are a few that sound delicious to us.

La Bandera Recipes Using Chicken, Beef, and Goat

If you struggle with making up your mind about which type of protein to use in your La Bandera, here are a few recipes to get you started.

Choose the one that will appeal most to you and your family. Then give it a try.

When you serve La Bandera to your family or guests, be sure to get the presentation right.

Traditionally, you would divide the plate into quadrants with the white rice.

Then the foods that represent the red and blue would fill those quadrants.

The red beans and meat placement should reflect the red and blue arrangement on the Dominican flag.

Final Thoughts

La Bandera Dominican Food
La Bandera , Chicken, Red Beans, Rice Served with a Side of Avocado

La Bandera truly is worthy of holding the title as the national dish of the Dominican Republic.

It is a staple of this country, and it also represents the red, white, and blue colors in the Dominican flag.

Reflecting the culture of using what you have, there are many variations of this dish, including the least expensive ingredients, such as white rice, red beans, and chicken.

La Bandera is a taste of home for many Dominicans.

So what’s for dessert?

How about some Arroz con Leche with a cup of traditional Dominican coffee?

You can always shop for classic Dominican foods and drinks at our online store.

Sources

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