La Bandera

La bandera dominicana, the Dominican flag, is what most of the country eats for lunch: white rice, red beans stewed with squash and herbs and poured over it, and stewed meat beside, usually chicken or beef, with a salad and often fried green plantain. The name comes from the colours. It is a midday meal, eaten as the main event of the day, and it is served in comedores, small no-frills lunch rooms, everywhere from city corners to roadside stops. The beans are the measure of the cook: they should be soupy rather than thick, with a sweetness from auyama squash, and Dominicans will argue about the balance at length.

What you actually see

• The habichuelas - soupy stewed beans with squash, poured over the rice.
• Pollo guisado - the braised chicken that most often comes with it.
• Tostones - twice-fried green plantain on the side.
• The comedor - the small lunch room where it is properly eaten.

When to go

Year-round, and specifically at lunch: comedores serve from about noon and are done by mid-afternoon. Eating this in the evening at a tourist restaurant is not the same thing. Sunday lunch at home is the fullest version, often with sancocho instead.

Honest expectations

It is plain by design and visitors expecting the bold spicing of other Caribbean cuisines are often underwhelmed; Dominican cooking is savoury and herb-based rather than hot. Portions are large. Comedores are basic rooms with plastic chairs, which is the point. Vegetarian versions mean asking for the beans and rice without the meat.

Nearby

Every town has comedores; the ones near markets and bus stations are usually reliable.