Cuisine Of Dominica
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Dominica cuisine is the cuisine of the island nation of
Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
. 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 The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
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
banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
s,
coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
s,
papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...
s,
guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...
s, pineapples, and
mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...
es which can be eaten as dessert and be pureed or liquefied. Dominica's national dish was the
mountain chicken ''Leptodactylus fallax'', commonly known as the mountain chicken or giant ditch frog, is a critically endangered species of frog that is native to the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. The population declined by at least 80% from 19 ...
, which are snares of the legs of a frog called the Crapaud, which is endemic to Dominica and
Montserrat Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with r ...
. Found at higher elevations, it is a protected species and can only be caught between autumn and February. However, as of 2013, the new national dish is callaloo, 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, passion fruit,
grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...
, oranges, tamarinds or guavas. Especially during Christmas time, a brew is made from boiling the calyces of the
sorrel Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ('dock' being a common name for the genus '' ...
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.


See also

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References


Bibliography

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External links


Recipes

Dining in Dominica
{{cuisines
Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...
Cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...