| Mangú | |
| Alternate Name: | Mazamorra (squash version) |
| Country: | Dominican Republic |
| National Cuisine: | Dominican Republic cuisine |
| Course: | Breakfast, main course or side dish |
| Served: | Hot |
| Main Ingredient: | Green plantains, red onion, vinegar |
| Minor Ingredient: | Queso frito, fried eggs, fried Dominican salami |
| Variations: | Mofongo, fufu, tacacho, cayeye |
Mangú is Dominican Republic's national breakfast.[1] This traditional Dominican dish can also be served for lunch or dinner.[2]
Mangú is made up of boiled green plantains with or without peel on. When cooked through and soft the peel is removed. Plantains are then mashed with a fork and some water in which they were boiled in. The goal is to mash the plantains until it becomes smooth with no lumps. The dish is topped with sautéed red onions that have been cooked with vinegar and oil.[3]
Los tres golpes (the three hits)[4] is the slang name given by Dominicans consisting of fried Dominican-style salami, fried cheese, and fried eggs served alongside mangú. The salami and cheese can be coated in flour before frying for a more crispy texture.
Dominican salami, is not a true salami as it is a pre-cooked sausage made from beef or pork. It has a flavor profile of being slightly smoky and salty. Unlike traditional salami, Dominican salami is not cured and has the look and texture of bologna sausage.
Boiled mashed plantains can be traced back to Africans in the Congo region who were brought to the island during the slave trade. The original word was something akin to "mangusi" and referred to almost any root vegetable that was boiled and mashed.[5]
Fufu is a dish brought over by African slaves into the Caribbean and parts of Latin America. Before cassava was introduced plantains, green bananas, and yams where boiled and mashed with milk, butter and the water it was boiled in.[6]
A popular folk tale exists, in which this dish was served to American soldiers during the American occupation of the country in the early 20th century, and that one of the dining soldiers exclaimed, “Man, good!”[7]