Dining in Dominica

Dominica, situated between Guadeloupe and Martinique, is a beautiful  island paradise in the Caribbean. It’s blanketed in lush rainforest and surrounded by crystal clear waters – creating a picturesque image for those who live in or visit this island nation.

Dominica, a Commonwealth of the UK, is an independent country. It hasn’t always been that way, and has been under the control of both the French and the English throughout history, and now its population mainly consists of people of African, Caribbean, and European descent. This is reflected in the country’s cuisine, which is Creole mixed with the flavours of neighboring countries and local ingredients. 

Coconut, citrus fruits, passion fruit, bananas, avocados, tamarind (pictured above), soursop, guava, breadfruit, yams, callaloo, onions, potatoes, hot peppers, okra, eggplant, and pumpkin are among the most common local fruits and vegetables used in traditional dishes. They’re often paired with meat (goat, chicken, beef, lamb, pork – or even opossum, squirrel, or raccoon) or seafood (octopus, spiny lobster, red snapper, land crab, cod, tuna, kingfish) and seasoned with an array of flavours like curry, ginger, pepper, lime, and coconut milk.

So what are these mouthwatering, flavourful, delectable Dominican dishes? Mountain Chicken (yep, the same frog-leg dish that is so popular in Montserrat is also Dominica’s national dish), callaloo soup, buljow (cod and vegetables cooked in coconut milk to make a stew), sanconche (a vegetable and meat soup) are just a few of them.

Drink-wise in Dominica, locally grown and roasted coffee is very popular, as are rum and fruit based drinks. The national beer is called Kubuli, and is said to be the best in the Caribbean.

Have you ever had the pleasure to go to Dominica? If you have, what are your favourite Dominican dishes? Did anything in particular stand out?