The treasured potato salad and notorious subject of POC debate takes culinary form differently across many cultures and communities. Just about everyone has some recipe or another, with variating ingredients, including carrots, corn, and even raisins. But in the Dominican Republic, and throughout many Dominican households across the US, […]
Click here to view original web page at www.popsugar.com
The treasured potato salad and notorious subject of POC debate takes culinary form differently across many cultures and communities. Just about everyone has some recipe or another, with variating ingredients, including carrots, corn, and even raisins. But in the Dominican Republic, and throughout many Dominican households across the US, potato salad is made with beets and called "ensalada Rusa."
"You can spot it a mile away at any festivity and it's a sign Dominicans are here," says Yadira Garcia of Happy Healthy Latina, a certified natural foods chef and educator of Dominican descent. "Its most defining characteristic is the color, because we added beets to the recipe when it came to the Caribbean."
Although "ensalada Rusa" isn't actually Russian, the holiday staple's history is tied to a previous dish created by the late Russian chef (reportedly of French or Belgian descent) Lucien Olivier. "The original version had ingredients like beef tongue, olives, and greens, but we turned it into something different and our own," she adds. "I am really here to say that it's an amazing-tasting salad, but the love we have for it runs much deeper."
For many diasporic Caribeños who are not in the country where our parents originated, these recipes carry memories and create a piece of home wherever we are rooted now. What better time than the holidays to celebrate such a savory legacy. Packed with flavor using key elements like carrots, peas, and beets, try Garcia's beloved family recipe for ensalada Rusa this season:
Image Source: Yadira Garcia
