“Rice, Sea and Land” dish aims to set national record in Pedernales

Pedernales.- As part of the 2025 Patron Saint Festivities “La Altagracia,” the Consume Lo Nuestro Program of the Special Fund for Agricultural Development (FEDA) and Guinness record-holding chef Solangel Velázquez will prepare a massive dish, “Rice, Sea, and Land,” for over 2,000 attendees in Pedernales. This culinary event aims to set a national record while celebrating Dominican gastronomy and cultural traditions.

The dish, a local favorite featuring rice, seafood, and meat, will be prepared in Central Park, where visitors can witness the entire cooking process over three hours. Chef Velázquez, known as the “queen of large cauldrons,” detailed the recipe: 150 pounds of rice, 100 pounds each of seafood and pork, 20 pounds of chorizo and sausage, and Creole sofrito for flavor.

This initiative, supported by the Pedernales City Council and Mayor Alfredo Francés, highlights the Consume Lo Nuestro program’s mission to promote Dominican culinary identity and strengthen the country’s cultural heritage as a national brand.