What to Eat When Visiting Dominica

One of my favorite things about visiting Dominica was the abundance of fresh, healthy, and tasty food that–truly some of the best I’ve tasted in my travels. Let me put you on to what to eat in Dominica for your most delicious vacation ever.

If you enjoy this article, you’ll love my packing list for Dominica, too!

What kind of food is Dominica known for?

Dominica, West Indies, is known as the Nature Island of the Caribbean and it’s most definitely a destination for people who want to be one with nature.

A few things make Dominica food culture unique: mineral-rich volcanic soil and elevation, abundant marine life, and a combination of African and Indigenous cultivation practices and herbal knowledge that have shaped foodways that are in harmony with nature, too!

You’ll also notice British and French influences on Dominican food via the island’s colonial history with both nations.

If you’re wondering what do people in Dominica eat? this list covers a lot of the basics, which are either wild-grown, responsibly farmed, or locally caught–and always FRESH. Lots of seafood, fruits, root veggies, herbs, and leafy greens. I don’t think I had a single bad meal.

So if you like eating locally, sustainably, and organic, believe that food can be medicinal, or just enjoy Caribbean cuisine, you’ll be in paradise. There are lots of naturally vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meal options so everybody can eat well!

Local Breakfast

I started most of my days with a typical Dominican breakfast of saltfish and bakes plus whatever fruits and vegetables were in season and highly recommend it!

Saltfish

This is popular throughout the Caribbean Islands and is made of dried and salted codfish. Saltfish is versatile and can be served with a variety of meals so don’t feel limited to enjoy it at breakfast.

Bakes and Other Breads

Bakes are a simple, small bread you can eat as-is, with jam or even filled with proteins or vegetables. I also enjoyed bakes as pre-hike fuel.

Check out my guide to hiking Perdu Temps in Dominica next!

Dominican Coffee

After just one day on the island, you’ll probably hear a lot about the unique flavor and strength of Dominican coffee, which is attributed to the local biodiversity and volcanic conditions. I’m not a coffee drinker but brought a bag back for my brother and sister-in-law and they agreed that the hype is valid.

Rum Punch

Dominica has a variety of rum punch flavors influenced by other West Indian punches as well as their own unique varieties–and their strength varies. My favorites were the classic Dominican rum punch, peanut punch, and raisin rum punch I had while spending a day in Soufriere.

And the Dominican rum punch I had at my hotel took me down for the count but it was yummy!

Herbal Teas

Dominican tea culture is a big deal and not simply because of the British influence. Natural prescriptions use bush teas to unlock the healing properties of the island’s flora and you will likely be offered something like cocoa tea, moringa tea, or ginger tea with your meals.

My very first activity in Dominica was taking an herbal class to learn all about the island’s edible and healing plants and I was able to make my own tea with shell ginger, bougainvillea, lemon sage, and cinnamon leaf.

This activity was part of my resort’s adventure wellness package. Here’s all you need to know about staying at Jungle Bay Resort.

Green Papaya Salad

Green papaya salad uses shredded unripe papaya, carrots, and a few other ingredients to make a super refreshing fresh dish that pairs with almost anything savory. I learned how to make it from Chef Wendy at Jungle Bay Resort in Soufriere and it is a must-try.

Sancoche

This traditional stew is one of the most popular dishes in Dominica, made with saltfish, peppers, herbs, and spices in a coconut milk base. Sancoche is typically served with a starchy side like plantain, dasheen (taro), or over rice–which was my fave!

Mountain Chicken

The national dish of Dominica is known as mountain chicken but it’s not actually chicken. It’s a frog otherwise known as the giant ditch frog and it’s the largest native amphibian in the Caribbean islands.

This mountain chicken is endangered so you may not be able to find it easily at restaurants but if you do, it is usually enjoyed as just the frog legs and served with ground provisions, aka tubers and root vegetables. People say it tastes like chicken, hence the name.

I’ll note that calaloo is also sometimes regarded as the Dominica national dish but I didn’t get to try it.

Fresh Seafood

I was basically a pescatarian for the time I stayed on Dominica and would be remiss not to strongly encourage you to enjoy as much seafood on the island as possible.

Lobster, mahi mahi (sometimes called dolphin), red snapper, marlin, and more are abundantly available and taste really clean and fresh, in my opinion. And if you have the opportunity to eat Dominican shrimp creole, do it!

Fresh Fruits

The best fruit of my life so far has been on Dominica! Each day, I ate whatever was available and it was all good, from starfruit to cherries to guava to custard apple, everything was perfectly sweet, tart, tangy, and flavorful.

The pineapples were particularly sweet compared to those we get in the United States. Eating a fresh-picked pommerac, aka local apple, from a tree in the Dominican rainforest is a top-tier experience. The texture is more like an American pear and the flavor is refreshing and lightly sweet!

Check out more fun things to do on vacation in Dominica.

Cassava Cakes

You can grab cassava cakes, which are an indigenous Dominican street food that is thick with a crispy pan-fried exterior and soft interior, from bakeries on the island. I enjoyed one at the old market and it was SO good–slightly sweet and best served warm, in my opinion.

Read about my experience at the Roseau Old Market of Dominica which is easily accessible if you’re traveling to Dominica on a cruise!

Coconut Water

Coconut water straight from an island coconut is miles ahead of the cartons of coconut water I buy from US grocery stores. So I can never pass up the opportunity to slurp it down!

The unspoiled soil, sand, and sea around Dominica make for high-quality coconuts so you’ll taste the difference. And don’t forget to get a spoon to scoop out the coconut jelly then be sure to recycle your coconut to help keep the island beautiful.

Fresh Juices

Since the fruit is so good here, it only makes sense that the fruit juice is good, too, right?! Ginger juice, tamarind juice, cherry juice, guava juice–I enjoyed all of it and more every single day with every meal and I have zero regrets. And don’t sleep on the Jamaican-influenced sorrel.

Local Beer

Last but not least, I’m nobody’s beer expert but I enjoyed and recommend Dominica’s national beer, which is brewed with Dominica spring water and named in honor of the island’s pre-colonial name, Wai’tukubuli. Even I can admit that there are few things better than liming on the beach with a cold beer in hand.

I hope you get to sip and savor the best food in Dominica (and drinks) soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this post for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!