1. Coco con leche: A sweet dessert made with shaved coconut and coconut milk. There's a great roadside stand just outside of Bani on the road to Santo Domingo that specializes in this dessert.

2. Jugo de china: Sold by roadside vendors, it tastes sort of like orange juice, but even better!

3. Batida con leche:A fruit smoothie with a bit of milk. I could live happily on these!

4. Habichuela con arroz: Red beans and rice, the basic staple.

5. Anything at Meson D'Bari: This is one of Santo Domingo's best restaurants in my opinion. They play live merengue on the weekends and the place is filled with Dominican artwork for sale. My mom liked the grilled fish with garlic. I loved the broccoli sauteed with onions.

6. Sugar cane sticks: My younger brother was addicted to these sticks, which are sold on the street corners. Usually the vendor hacks the stick in half with a machete and then strips it for eating. Pieces of the cane will probably get stuck in your teeth, though!

7. Fresh papaya and mango in the summer, avocado in the winter

8. Pastelitos: Dough stuffed with vegetables and/or meat and cheese and then fried. Get a hot one at a roadside stand at night!

9. Tostones: Fried, salted plantains. Good for snacking on during road trips.

10. Mojitos: Technically, this is a Cuban drink, but Dominicans make a great version with Dominican rum, mint, sugar, lime juice and club soda. Like drinking liquid heaven!