Dominica cuisine facts for kids

Dominica cuisine is the delicious food from the island nation of Dominica. It uses cooking styles similar to Creole food, mixed with fresh ingredients and tasty spices grown right on the island.

What Do People Eat in Dominica?

Dominica's food is a lot like what you'd find on other Caribbean islands, such as Trinidad and St. Lucia. Even though they are separated by water, each island adds its own special touch to meals.

Breakfast Time!

Breakfast is a very important meal in Dominica and is eaten every day. A common breakfast includes saltfish, which is dried and salted codfish. People also enjoy bakes, which are made from dough and fried in oil. Saltfish and bakes are popular for a quick meal before a long day.

You can also find these as snacks sold by street vendors. They often sell them alongside fried chicken, fish, and yummy smoothies. Another breakfast option is cornmeal porridge. This is made with fine cornmeal, milk, condensed milk, and sugar to make it sweet. Some people also enjoy British-style breakfasts like eggs, bacon, and toast. Fried fish and plantains are also popular choices.

Lunch and Dinner Favorites

For lunch or dinner, people often eat vegetables like plantains, tania, yams, potatoes, rice, and peas. Popular meats include chicken (which is very common), beef, and fish. These are usually stewed with onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, and herbs like thyme. A special cooking method called "browning" helps create a rich, dark sauce.

Some favorite meals include rice and peas, stewed chicken, stewed beef, and fried or stewed fish. Many different kinds of hearty fish broths and soups are also popular. These soups are often packed with dumplings, carrots, and ground provisions (root vegetables).

Snacks and Sweet Treats

You can find roadside stands and small restaurants selling tasty snacks. They often offer fried chicken, fish-and-chips, and "tasty bakes." These bakes are fried dough made with flour, water, and sometimes sugar or salt. Cold drinks are also usually available.

Dominica grows many amazing fruits. These include bananas, coconuts, papayas, guavas, pineapples, and mangoes. You can eat these fruits as a dessert, or they can be blended into purees or drinks.

Dominica's National Dishes

For a long time, Dominica's national dish was the mountain chicken. This dish uses the legs of a special frog called the Crapaud. This frog is only found in Dominica and Montserrat. It lives in higher parts of the island. The mountain chicken is a protected species, meaning it's rare. It can only be caught between autumn and February.

However, since 2013, the new national dish is callaloo. Callaloo is a delicious soup or stew made from the green leaves of the dasheen plant. It also includes other vegetables and sometimes meat.

What Do People Drink in Dominica?

Dominica has lots of fresh water from rivers flowing down its mountains. Popular drinks include rum punch and refreshing smoothies.

Teas and Local Brews

Dominica has a long history of drinking tea. Many traditional teas used for medicine come from the original Carib people of the island. Dominica also brews its own beer, which is called Kubuli.