Dominican Republic food and Caribbean Recipes
Many of the meat dishes involve goat, which are abundant here. Goats graze on wild oregano which gives Dominican Republic food and meats a distinctive "pre-marinated" flavor. Beef is very expensive, while the Dominicans do raise very nice cattle; they tend to export most of it. Dominican Republic food tends to be very well cooked or simmered, don't expect to find anything done rare. In fact, when you ask for rare they tend to take it as "not burned".
As a tourist you will see great fresh seafood, the most common varieties being shrimp, marlin, mahi-mahi, rock lobster and Dorado. The locals tend to eat a lot of meat (goat and chicken) as it is less expensive than fish and seafood. However, most resort areas, like Punta Cana, are near the coast and you'll find great seafood restaurants right on the beach. The most popular national dish is "la Bandera" the flag, which is a combination of rice, red beans, stewed meat (usually goat), salad and fried plantains. Other mainstays are Comida Criolla which is a stewed chicken dish served with rice and beans. The only true Taino dishes that are still common are Casabe - a flat bread made from the poisonous yuca plant. The plant is shredded, soaked and pressed to have the poisonous components of the plant removed. Casava, another Taino dish, is a type of fritter that is stuffed with meat, chicken or fish. When Columbus came to the island in 1492, he brought Spanish cuisine with him. The most famous Spanish dish, paella, is now a regular in just about every Dominican kitchen. The dish has been adapted to Dominican Republic food and ingredients, the local rice (criolla) is used and the main coloring of paella (saffron) is not available in the Dominican Republic. While the Spanish have a very strict definition of paella (rice dish cooked over an open fire), the Dominicans now seem to see it as a rice dish that involves whatever ingredients are available. Paella is always a delicious blending of flavors; definitely give it a try while you're there. 
As for the peripherals to Dominican Republic food, desserts tend to be incredibly sweet by North American standards - sugar cane mixed with condensed milk. The local rum and El Presidente beer are the best bet for alcoholic beverages. Common non-alcoholic beverages involve mixing fresh fruit juices with milk to make a kind of smoothie. 
As for Punta Cana food, the flavors of the Dominican are definitely there – but expanded on somewhat to satisfy the mostly North American tourists. The reality is that tourists traveling to resort destinations usually eat very well at home and expect to eat at least as well on vacation. For that reason, you’ll see a wide variety of dishes and different nationality’s cuisines represented at the resorts in Punta Cana. There are also quite a few very good restaurants in Punta Cana, (although the resorts tend not to tell you about them) sometimes taking a little break from the all-inclusive to try out something a little different is just what the vacation doctor ordered. Dominican Republic recipes
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