“Habichuelas con dulce”   

The Dominican dessert I will describe has a very special taste and meaning to me. This dessert reminds me of my grandfather and when I was a child.  It’s a traditional and unique Dominican dessert. It’s most popular at Easter, very appreciated and prepared to share with family and neighbors.  The habichuelas con dulce is made of an almost impossible combination of ingredients with a spectacular result. It’s brown and made of a mixture of fresh red beans, different types of milk, varied spices, brown sugar and sweet potatoes. The texture is thick and creamy, and it gives off a pleasant smell like cinnamon to the palate that gives you the desire not to stop eating. Also, you can add something else, such as sweet cookies and raisins. You can eat it hot or cold, according to your choice.   The habichuelas con dulce is for me the smell of memories, homesickness, and a family that has gone but returns in each spoonful. It especially reminds me of my grandfather Alfredo, and reminds me when I was played in the backyard of my grandfather’s house. The dessert is not the most important thing. Instead, the important thing is how it reminds me of my grandfather because when I was a girl, he prepared this dessert to share with the neighborhood and I was by his side, watching and tasting.  I learned to prepare the habichuelas con dulces to remember my grandfather. Currently, when I make habichuelas con dulces I remember my childhood and my heart is full of joy. 

– Dilia

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant