Pizza, other foods, and water

Dominican pizza...notice anything different from its US counterpart? It is sprinkled with corn. And it's quite good that way. Try it sometime!


Grocery stores
If you are in the capital, or another large city, you will find grocery stores pretty similar to the ones in the US.

There is less convenience food, which is probably not a bad thing. There is one thing you have to do when shopping that you cannot do in the US. You must open some of the containers. For example, if you don't open the mayo jar to be sure it still has its contents well sealed within, you may find out at home, that you have just bought a jar of mayo that is spoiled. This has happened to me more than once, but still, it's easy for me to forget. I did it again just last week. And I also bought some of the potato chips which come in the long tube-can, and found they had been opened and sampled. Sometimes you can get your money back, but sometimes they won't give it to you, because maybe you spoiled it yourself through lack of refrigeration--how can they know for sure? You will not be reprimanded for this checking under the lid, even if you do it in front of store personnel, because they know it is necessary.

Eating healthy is the best buy, as it is all over the world. There are lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Supermarkets have them, but if you go to a local outside stand, you will probably get them fresher and for less money. I can go to the guy on the corner and ask for 30¢(usd) of cabbage. He'll even slice it thin enough for cole slaw in the bargain. Or I can ask for 60¢ of "salad." He'll point to different things, tomatoes, lettuce, etc., asking what should be included in the salad, and he'll make it up right there.

When I get home, I will soak any lettuce or cabbage in a mild solution of bleach and water, to avoid any problems with parasites. I generally don't eat salads out, because I have no way of knowing if they've been adequately cleaned. Some people are less fussy than I am, and just rinse them with clean water.

By the way, being served impure water is no longer an issue, as far as I can see. Twenty years ago a lot of people drank tap water, which is not suitable for drinking here. But these days, virtually everyone buys their water, and use that water for ice as well.

There are two main ways to get your drinking water. You can buy it at a corner store, usually within a block or two of your house. If you call the store, they will send out a motorcycle with your purchase of water, and/or anything else. You swap them your empty container for a full one. Since these are water cooler size--5 gallons, it's better to have them bring it over. They will put it right in your kitchen.

The second way is to buy it from little tanker trucks that go around the neighborhood honking their horns. You take your container out, and they fill it for you. That's the method I use. Everyone has an opinion on water, which brand is clean, which isn't, but I've never had a problem. Oh, and on the street, at traffic lights, you can buy a 30¢ bottle of water, or a 6-8¢ plastic envelope of water. Just tear off the corner and suck out all the water.

I do prefer to buy my meat at the grocery, since at the outdoor butcher shops, the meats are often subject to swarms of flies. Mind you, I don't see what happens indoors at the supermarket, so I take it on faith they have less of that! I've noticed one brand of chicken that consistently gives you less than you pay for. The company puts a sponge like paper under the chicken and makes sure it is full of water. Then they package it, and weigh it in the package. So you are paying for the packaging, the extra water weight, and less chicken than you had hoped. A Dominican friend of mine who moved to the states complained about our chicken. She said the pieces were too big and the flavor different. Dominican chickens are usually a lot bonier than ours, that's for sure. Seems it is a matter of what you are used to as to which you prefer.

Some stores, including my favorite grocery store, have "scribblers." That is what I call the guy that scribbles on your receipt as you go out the door. Another thing you won't find in the US, is that you may hear worship music being played over the store's sound system as you shop. That's a nice touch.