Sancocho

Sancocho is the dish for occasions: a heavy stew built on root vegetables, yautía, yuca, ñame, auyama squash and green plantain, simmered until they begin to break down and thicken the broth, with meat added in stages. The full version, sancocho de siete carnes, uses seven, typically beef, pork, chicken, goat, longaniza sausage and cuts like pig's trotter and smoked ribs, each going in at the right moment. It takes hours and a big pot, which is why it belongs to Sundays, family gatherings, rainy days and the mountains. It is served with white rice on the side and avocado, and Dominicans will tell you it is also the cure for a hangover.

What you actually see

• Siete carnes - the seven-meat version made for gatherings.
• The root vegetables - yautía, yuca, ñame and auyama thickening the broth.
• Rice and avocado - served alongside rather than in the bowl.
• Mountain versions - Jarabacoa and Constanza do it in the cold.

When to go

Year-round, but Sunday is the day and the mountains are the place; a cold wet afternoon in Jarabacoa or Constanza is when it makes most sense. Many restaurants only make it at weekends because of the time it takes.

Honest expectations

It is very heavy and portions are large. The seven-meat version includes cuts that some visitors find challenging, trotter and tripe among them, though you can ask what is in the pot. Restaurant versions made in advance are thinner than the household original. There is no vegetarian equivalent in the tradition.

Nearby

Jarabacoa and Constanza in the mountains are the classic places to eat it.