We asked 10 Dominicans on a random weekday in the Dominican Republic “what did you have for lunch today” and all 10 replied “La Bandera… arroz, habichuela y carne”. Ok, the truth is that the preceding survey never took place (sorry, just added for dramatic effect), but from my own experience growing up in the Dominican Republic; if that survey took place today, the result would be very close to our fictitious one. The reason for that is that La Bandera “The Flag” is the most traditional dish in Dominican gastronomy; and is typically enjoyed by Dominicans for lunch – which is the most important meal of the day- and sometimes for dinner. La Bandera comes in different versions, and whether you have it at home or at a restaurant like Mecho’s Dominican Kitchen in Washington, DC there is one thing that will be a constant… Arroz blanco y habichuela (white rice and beans). White rice and beans are the two components of The Flag that cannot be substituted for our dish to be authentic; however, the meat is the one item that is interchangeable; but, most likely, would have to be cooked in a stew to keep its flag properties. The meat, which is usually the most expensive ingredient in La Bandera, is usually adjusted based on the family budget, it could be beef, pork or chicken; just to name a few. And, sometimes, based on preference, there could be a delicious vegetarian flag made with stewed eggplant instead of meat. There is a popular believe that the name “La Bandera” comes from the similarity in color of the rice, beans and meat to the colors of the Dominican flag. It is said that the white rice represents the white cross on the flag, the meat represents the blue color, and the beans; typically red beans, represent the red color in the flag. While this may be true, to some extent, to me the name is simply a way of saying that; arroz, habichuela y carne (rice, beans and meat), are as emblematic to the Dominican culture as the flag itself. And although many countries use rice and meat in their diet as a common staple, it is also true that in The Dominican culture, La Bandera is so deeply entrenched in our way of life that nothing says Dominican better (gastronomically speaking) than Arroz, Habichuela y Carne… our most delicious version of the Dominican flag.