Yaroa

Yaroa

Yaroa mixta
Type	Fast food
Place of origin	Dominican Republic
Region or state	Latin America, Caribbean
Main ingredients	Root vegetable, meat, cheese, condiments

Yaroa is a Dominican street food that originated from Santiago de los Caballeros.¹²³ It is made from French fries or a mash of a root vegetable or tuber such as plantain or yuca, then layered with meat and then cheese.¹⁴⁵ Toppings such as hot sauce, jalapeños, or fresh herbs like cilantro are sometimes added to enhance flavor.⁶ Condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard are also often added on top.³ Beef, pork, chicken, or a combination of the meats is a common part of the dish.¹³ There are many versions throughout the country.³

Street food vendors in food trucks often sell the dish.³ Because it is relatively quick and easy to prepare, it is suitably served as a fast food.⁵ It is a popular street food often eaten by young revelers at night in a Styrofoam to-go container.³⁷ Prior to its creation, the chimichurri burger and sandwich de pierna (pork sandwich) were the main street foods to eat at night.⁴

The name is derived from a neighborhood in Santiago.¹ At first, it was served in a hood neighborhood called El Ejido, then at the area around the Monument of Santiago by street vendors at about 1999.⁴⁵⁸ The popularity spread to the point where a popular Dominican fast food chain now serves the dish.⁴ Now it can be found internationally in places such as New York City⁷ and Lawrence, MA.⁹

It has been compared to Canadian poutines, salchipapa, loaded fries and cheese fries.⁴⁷