Dominica cuisine is the cuisine of the island nation of Dominica. The cuisine is rooted in creole techniques with local produce flavored by spices found on the island.

Foods

Dominica's cuisine is similar to many other Caribbean islands including that of Trinidad and St Lucia. Though separated by water Dominica and other Commonwealth Caribbean islands have distinct twists to their meals. Breakfast is an important meal in Dominica and is eaten every day. A typical meal includes saltfish, which is dried and salted codfish, and bakes made by making a dough and frying in oil prove popular before a long days at work. Saltfish and bakes can also double as fast food snacks that can be eaten throughout the day; vendors and Dominica's streets sell these snacks to passers-by alongside fried chicken, fish and tasty smoothies. Other breakfast meals include cornmeal porridge which is made with fine cornmeal or polenta, milk and condensed milk and sugar to sweeten. More British influenced meals like eggs, bacon and toast are also popular alongside fried fish and plantains. Common vegetables eaten during lunchtime or dinner include plantains, tania, yams, potatoes, rice, and peas. Meat and poultry typically eaten include chicken (which is very popular), beef, fish which are normally stewed down with onions, carrots, garlic, ginger and herbs like thyme and using the browning method to create a rich dark sauce. Popular meals include rice and peas, Stew chicken, Stew beef, fried and stewed fish and many different types of hearty fish broths and Soups which are packed full with dumplings, carrots and ground provisions. Roadside stands and small-town restaurants typically serve fried chicken, fish-and-chips and "tasty bakes" which are fried dough made with flour, water and sugar or sometimes salt, along with cold drinks. The island produces numerous exotic fruits, including bananas, coconuts, papayas, guavas,

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

s, and mangoes which can be eaten as dessert and be pureed or liquefied. Dominica's national dish was the mountain chicken, which are snares of the legs of a frog called the Crapaud, which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to Dominica and Montserrat. Found at higher elevations, it is a

protected species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invas ...

and can only be caught between autumn and February. However, as of 2013, the new national dish is

callaloo Callaloo (many spelling variants, such as kallaloo, calaloo, calalloo, calaloux or callalloo; ) is a popular Caribbean vegetable dish. There are many variants across the Caribbean, depending on the availability of local vegetables. The main in ...

, made from the green leaves of the dasheen plant and other vegetables and meat. The preferred callaloo dish is crab callaloo.

Beverages

Rivers flowing down from the mountains provide Dominica with an abundant supply of fresh water. Most local juices are made using

limes Limes may refer to: * the plural form of lime (disambiguation) Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a ...

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

, grapefruit, oranges, tamarinds or guavas. Especially during

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

time, a brew is made from boiling the calyces of the sorrel plant. A drink commonly served with breakfasts is cacao tea, made from boiling cocoa sticks with cinnamon and bay leaves. Other drinks include rum punch and smoothies. Dominica tea culture has a long history. Many traditional medicinal teas have origins with the original Carib culture of the island. Dominica brews its own beer under the Kubuli label.

Foods

Beverages

See also

References

Bibliography

External links