Meal 67. Dominican sabrococho - a vegan variation of sancocho

Rafa chopping up the assorted veggies

 As my host for the evening, Rafa, starts chopping up the vegetables, he gestures towards the bottle of Mamajuana on the table. This typically Dominican drink consists of rum, wine, herbs and honey (and has nothing to do with marijuana!). It has a truly unique taste. The herbs used are apparently based on those used for infusions by the native Taíno. Though there are not really any 'pure' Taíno left in existence, their DNA is still present in many Dominicans (as well as Cubans and Puerto Ricans). Rafa explains that in the Dominican Republic (shortened as DR in English in RD in Spanish) citizens need to have their ethnicity on their ID card. Most are a mix of white (Spanish), Taíno and African, and "a bit of all the other races that have passed and stayed on the island." But there is some resistance to chosing the label 'black,' hence many go by indio oscuro (dark Indian). To some extent, this distancing from the population's African roots may have something to do with DR wanting to distinguish itself from its neighbour, Haiti. Rafa mentions that if he were to walk around in Santo Domingo with his curly hair and African inspired t-shirt, he would be sure to attract critical comments. Curly hair for men is normally camouflaged by cutting it short. For women, an army of Dominican hairdressers is known worldwide for their magic capabilities of transforming the frizziest of hair to sleek tresses. It is almost unheard of to leave curly hair natural. Rafa can even recall a polemic where the Education minister apparently refused a scholarship to a student due her natural frizzy hair.

After adding chia seeds, pollen, etc

Apart from Rafa's appearance, his eating habits are not 'typically Dominican' either. He has been a vegan for a bit more than a year now, and also cooks without oil. So tonight, the traditional sancocho has gotten a makeover and has been renamed sabrococho, a play on words with the Spanish sabroso (tasty). In the Dominican Republic, this soup or stew is traditionally prepared on rainy days. Variations of this dish are quite popular all over the region. It is similar to the Costa Rican olla de carne and the Chilean cazuela which featured on this blog many years ago. It is normally a broth with a mix of corn, potato, sweet potato, onion, meat and whatever you might want to throw in. The exact recipe varies per household, per cook, and depending on what is available. Rafa tosses in a few ingredients that might not be found in most Dominican cupboards, like chia seeds, bee pollen, cauliflower and an apple. He insists that the spirit of improvisation is typical of a Dominican sancocho. The end result is quite tasty, with every spoonful a bit of a surprise. Rafa admits to only learning how to cook after moving from his island of birth. He partially blames the machista culture for this lacuna. In his early days of cooking for friends in Spain, he was nicknamed the 'Terror del Paladar' - loosely translated as 'Taste Terrorist'! He says this was because "everyone is a guinea pig when it comes to a cooking experiment," but also because his combinations of ingredients were "unorthodox." However, they did always manage to get his food down, and he has made great strides since then. 

The final result: vegan sancocho aka sabrococho

Rafa with the Mamajuana

As we eat the sabrococho and sip on Mamajuana, we listen to a varied playlist including some Dominican hits. The island is famous for its stars, often producing international bachata and merengue hits. Juan Luis Guerra is a legend, with songs that are catchy while telling a story. Rafa is not really a fan of the US born Romeo Santos, who is huge. He recalls a common joke that 'Romeo sings like Juliet', referring to the singer's falsetto tones. 

Once the dinner is done, Rafa suggests ending the evening in a classically Carribbean way, with a little dance. We pick the appropriately titled song 'Tomando Mamajuana.' Oddly, but impeccably timed, the laptop runs out of battery right after the song ends. I am secretly relieved, as my merengue skills have not improved in the 20 years since I last danced to this music, and even then I was not that great!