La Bandera is the national dish of the Dominican Republic. This dish consists of rice, red beans, and meat. This dish is most often served for lunch or dinner, a salad and a side dish usually complete the meal. The literal Spanish to English translation for La Bandera is ‘The Flag.’
The earliest this national dish could have existed was in the 1840s when the Dominicans declared their independence from Haiti.
How does La Bandera represent the red, white, and blue? The meat represents the blue in the flag, which stands for liberty. As you may have guessed, the rice means white, which signifies salvation. The red beans represent the red or the blood of heroes.
