Víveres

What is a vívere? SO HAPPY that you asked. After much investigation and confusion, I can now confidently say that víveres are the class of vegetables here in the Dominican Republic that are staples in most meals. They MUST be cooked before eating, and a short list of the ones I am most frequently eating (as a full list includes many others) includes plátanos (both verde and maduro), guineo verde, batata, papa, and yucca (green plantains, yellow plantains, green bananas, sweet potato, potato, and yucca). What a short list, you might scoff. But wait – there is an incredible number of ways that these items can be prepared! Víveres are integral to the Dominican diet and are grown throughout the country. Within my site, agriculture is generally limited to personal gardens and fruit trees, though there are several decently sized plátano plots throughout the community. Once leaving the pueblo, you will quickly find fields and fields of plátanos and guineos, as well as rice paddies, which though not a vívere, is another staple in the Dominican diet. Though both the banana and plantain are within the same genus, Musa, the plantain is much starchier and not nearly as sweet as the banana (couldn’t resist a bit of Biology thrown in there). Additionally, plantains and bananas can be eaten when still green, as long as they are cooked – whether that is fried, boiled, mashed, sautéed, etc. I once had a two-hour conversation with my thirteen-year-old host cousin in the capital about the difference between these four categories of banana/plantain/green/yellow combinations, and though she was in hysteric laughter at my utter lack of understanding, I think I have finally figured it out. Onto an applicable example I encourage all to try.

A truck with plátanos defying all odds against gravity

            I eat víveres everyday here, and I’ve decided to include a newfound favorite recipe that incorporates not only ONE vívere, but TWO. (Fair warning for those “culinary stars” out there: there is no “cooking” involved, given that I still can’t really cook more than an egg or some toast, though my guacamole has improved and I can blindly find my way to a jugo). I call this – casabe dessert pizza. 

Difficultly level – 7 on a scale of 1-10 

Technically challenging – Yes 

Total cook time – 3 minutes 

Taste test – You’ll want to show this off at your next holiday party

I have since been told naming this pizza is somewhat misleading, but all the kids in my host family approved of the name. All you need for this knock-out, sure-to-be-a-crowd-pleaser recipe is a stack of casabe (a thin bread made from yucca flour), easily purchased at your local colmado, some guineos, and a low viscosity peanut butter (easier for spreading). Simply take your casabe bread, and lather on the peanut butter with the utensil of your choosing. This is where viscosity makes ALL the difference – the peanut butter made locally here in my pueblo is IDEAL for spreading as it is a thinner, creamy texture. Next, choose a nicely yellowed local guineo from your fruit stand, and precisely cut and arrange the pieces of guineo on the casabe with peanut butter. Plating and aesthetic are up to the chef and can be adjusted to skill level. Here is a nice photo of my finished product.

Casabe bamba guineo pizza

            

            Finally, though not quite a vívere as they are eaten raw/uncooked, I decided I couldn’t leave out a little shout out for the guineo maduro (yellow/ripe banana). Back in the states, I thought bananas had a strange texture, did not like the smell, and would exclusively eat them in banana bread form. However, by la gracia de Dios, I have morphed into a guineo fiend. My PCV friends have come to count on me as always having a spare guineo with me, and though I can’t explain how my taste buds have so dramatically transformed, I can happily say that I am now a lover of bananas, and hope to remain so forever.