Dominica Recipes

Dominica, often called the Nature Island, cooks with what grows in its volcanic soil and what comes from its rivers and sea. Creole, African, French and Kalinago influences all show in the food. Callaloo soup, made from dasheen leaves, coconut milk and herbs, is the dish most often called national. Ground provisions such as dasheen, yam, tannia and green banana, along with breadfruit and plantain, make up most plates, usually with stewed fish, chicken or salted cod. Cassava bread is a Kalinago tradition, and fish broth with dumplings is a popular peppery soup. Land crabs are seasoned and baked back into their shells, and hot pepper sauce is made at home from scotch bonnet. Sorrel is brewed at Christmas, cocoa tea is a morning drink, and local rum goes into punch.

Staple ingredients

• dasheen and other ground provisions
• green bananas and plantain
• callaloo leaves
• coconut
• saltfish
• fresh fish
• cassava
• scotch bonnet peppers

• Appetizers 1
• Soups 2
• Breads 1
• Drinks 1

Appetizers

• Crab Back (Dominica Stuffed Crab)DM48 minMedium

Soups

• Dominica Callaloo Soup (Creamy Dasheen Leaf Soup)DM1 h 10 minEasy
• Dominica Fish Broth (Peppery Fish and Provisions Soup)DM1 h 5 minEasy

Breads

• Cassava Bread (Dominica Kalinago-Style Flatbread)DM1 h 5 minMedium

Drinks

• Dominica Sorrel Punch (Spiced Hibiscus Drink)DM20 minEasy