As I write this entry, I am sitting at my desk in my old host family’s apartment in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Since I have last been here my host mother has given birth to two baby boys, and the family has moved to a new neighborhood. There is a new president, and new problems for the country to face. However, the flavors from the kitchen remain familiar and make me feel at home.

Sitting down to write this piece is like torture, because this time I am only here for four days, and it is not enough time to devour all of my favorite foods here on the island. A fruit that just came to my memory is Níspero, and I write it with a capital N, because it is must be one of the fruits found in paradise. Its juice is a libation. And just yesterday I discovered a new fruit, limoncillo, which I had never eaten before, and I consider myself a fruit connoisseur. I thought that the little round green balls were limes, but my host mother kept telling me to crack it open with my teeth. When I did, there was a pop! The skin split open, and inside lay a fruit that looked exactly like a lychee. Cuidado con la semilla! Be careful with the seed! I quickly realized that the fruit consisted of a thin cover around a hard- as- a- rock large seed. What other fruits have I not yet discovered?

The food here is so simple, but it is fresh, and rich in nutrients. In the morning one eats boiled guineo, a starchy banana, or a yautía coco, which is known as taro in English. It might sound bland, but these vegetables have so much natural flavor, that there is no need to douse them with sauces or seasonings. The fruits are pure and sweet, leaving barely any desire for the dulces de coco (coconut sweets) or empanadas de guayaba (empanadas with guayaba). Well, maybe that is not entirely true! The various types of beans are cooked for hours with leaves of cilantro, onion, and tomato, giving them a tasty and satisfying flavor. I watched a woman fry the salt for the rice in the oil before pouring in the rest of the ingredients to give it more flavor. Para darle más sabor. A Dominican meal would not be complete without well- cooked rice. The national dish, mangú, which is a plate of boiled plantains, mashed with their cooking water, butter, and served with cheese and pickled onions, is one of the most gratifying comfort foods that exists. Granted, some of these flavors require acquiring a taste for them. However, they have always represented to me how the rest of the world eats. Simple foods cooked with love and years and years of experience.