Dominica is a small, rugged island nation in the Eastern Caribbean Sea. My beautiful friend, Seoul Antilles had the honour of finding and colouring in Dominica on our Virtual Nomad map—a task we all struggled with for a while! The name Dominica comes from the Latin word for Sunday (Domenica) or the Latin phrase dies Dominica, meaning “belonging to God” or “where God resides”. It is the land of the Kalinago people, who still reside on the island today. The nation boasts over 365 rivers and has been independent since 1978.

But first, as always: food.

The Caribbean Gals Night

To celebrate Dominica and the much larger Dominican Republic, we decided to organise a Caribbean Gals Night—a special evening for the wonderful women of Virtual Nomad. We had 12 women around the table and, alongside the delicious menu, we also hosted a fun Dominica trivia game. Since the Dominican Republic portion of the menu will be featured in the next entry, this post focuses on the dishes we enjoyed from Dominica’s rich cuisine.

The participating Virtual Nomads are presented with city and/or place pseudonyms. The cities selected are random and have nothing to do with the origins of the people themselves.

It was a wonderful and joyous night. Apart from myself (Akureyri Lahore) and my daughter Lisboa (19), the participants included Virtual Nomad veteran Acapulco Kilimanjaro, my fierce human rights warrior friend Lausanne Waikiki and her daughter Riviera (18), and our wonderful friends Seoul Antilles, Athina (Athens) Ratatonga, and Alexandria Atacama. We were also joined by Lisboa’s lovely friend Roma Aruba, and fantastic newbies Bordeaux Santorini and Surabaya Barcelona. A few days later, I invited Kyoto Dolomites and Cartagena Orinoco over to enjoy the leftovers since they had missed the Caribbean Night.

Callaloo, a creamy soup, is the national dish of Dominica. I prepared it on two separate occasions: once for a Caribbean Gals’ Night, and another time for Kyoto Dolomites and Cartagena Orinoco, who could not make it to the first gathering. One batch ended up a bit creamier than the other.

The dish has deep West African and Indigenous roots. While there are many local variations, the soup basically consists of local greens (dasheen in Dominica or spinach in Sydney), coconut milk, capsicum, tomato, thyme, and spices. It is rich and delicious, so it is no wonder that it is so beloved in Dominica. Over time, Callaloo has become a fundamental part of the island’s Creole identity, and in 2013, it was officially named the national dish, replacing the mountain chicken frog dish.

My beautiful friend and human rights warrior, Lausanne Waikiki, along with her lovely daughter Riviera, brought GF Bakes—the Dominican name for Johnny cakes. Johnny cakes are common throughout the Caribbean, featuring various regional twists. Their origin traces back to Indigenous North American corn flatbreads, which traveled to the Caribbean alongside colonial settlers and enslaved workers. Over time in the Caribbean, Johnny cakes became richer as wheat replaced the traditional corn. The name “Johnny cake” is also said to have evolved from “journey cake.” In Dominica, they are prepared slightly sweeter than in other parts of the region.

Historically, Dominica’s national dish was Mountain Chicken, which was actually a dish made from a large native frog. Because this frog is now endangered and protected, we instead enjoyed some symbolic frog lollies that Roma Aruba and Lisboa brought to the table.

The land of the Kalinago

Domenica is the land of the Kalinago (Island Caribs) people, who arrived on the island early and either wiped out their predecessors the Arawak (earlier theory) or lived peacefully side by side and mixed with them (current theory).   Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) arrived in 1493 and named the island Dominica. The Kalinago resisted  the Spaniards fiercely, which deterred Spain from settling on the island. The Kalinago were left to live in relative calm until France claimed the island in 1632. The French brought enslaved Africans to work on the coffee plantations and conditions for the enslaved people did not improve when Britain took over in 1763. Despite some attempts from France, Dominica stayed under British rule. Slavery was finally abolished in 1834. Dominica reached self-governing status in 1967 and full independence in 1978. In 1980, Eugenia Charles became the first female Prime Minister in the Caribbean. 

Dominica is susceptible to hurricanes, and several devastating and deadly storms have hit the island, most notably Hurricane David in 1979 and Hurricane Maria in 2017. Dominica is known as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean” due to its deep green, vivid, unspoiled rainforests—and, of course, its more than 365 rivers. The capital city is Roseau, and the Kalinago still live on the island within a dedicated eastern territory. The Dominican flag is one of only two national flags that feature the color purple. It is a very small island of around 750 square kilometers, measuring roughly 47 km long and 26 to 29 km wide, with nine active volcanoes. Dominica is home to the Caribbean’s first long-distance hiking trail, which spans 183 km and takes about two weeks to complete. The official language is English, and the currency is the East Caribbean dollar (XCD).

Two books from Dominica 

Probably the most famous author from Dominica is Jean Rhys, who is best known for her 1966 novel Wide Sargasso Sea, intended as a prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. Even thought it is widely hailed as a masterpiece, I decided against reading it, as I am not a great fan of authors appropriating the work of others – especially without  permission. Therefore, I decided to read two other highly recommended books from Dominica instead.

Island Man (Joanne Skerrett, 2023)

Joanne Skerrett is a former journalist who was born in Roseau, Dominica. She currently lives in Boston, where part of the Island Man takes place. It is a sweeping exploration of, above all, fathers and sons, family, belonging, identity, and racism. In the book Hector, a second generation immigrant raised by a single Dominican mother. Hector meets his father for the first time around the age of 20 prompting them to build a relationship from scratch. There are two stories in the book – one of Hector and his story, and the other of Winston, his dad. A third storyline follows both Hector and Winston together during the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017.

It is a long book that loses steam in some parts—especially during Hector’s story, as he is not a very likable character—but the narratives come together in an interesting way. Hector tells his story linearly, whereas Winston’s past in Dominica unfolds like a flashback. What the book does exceptionally well is bring Dominica to life. It explores the island’s colonial history, its relationship with neighbouring islands like Guadeloupe, and the controversial persecution of the Rastafari community under the Prohibited and Unlawful Societies and Associations Act of 1974 (which allowed for the arrest and imprisonment of Rastafarians). Finally, it offers insightful commentary on poverty, race relations, and the experience of living in the United States as a Black immigrant.

Hector and Winston’s family is large and sprawling. Joanne delves into the life stories of nearly every character with great detail, weaving interesting connections where key revelations unfold gradually rather than too early. While the narrative is engaging enough to keep the reader hooked, it feels too uneven to be completely satisfying. Ultimately, the core of the book explores the dynamics between fathers and sons, and what it means to grow up to be a man. Conversely, Hector’s mother is less defined and remains a peripheral figure, even though she is essential to the overall story. Despite the sluggish pacing in certain sections, I thoroughly enjoyed the book’s vivid storytelling.

The Orchid House (Phyllis Shand Allfrey, 1953)

Phyllis Shand Allfrey was many things; a political and social activist, a writer, poet, journalist and an active participant in Dominica’s postcolonial movement. Though born into a white Creole family on a plantation, she developed a strong sense of social justice and rebelled against the elite social class of her childhood.After spending part of her youth in New York and London, she returned to Dominica and became a prominent figure in Dominican political life. She co-founded the Dominica Labour Party and later served as the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs for the West Indies Federation. As an author, she remains less known than her compatriot Jean Rhys, who spent most of her life outside Dominica. It is said that Phyllis said that being involved in politics ruined her prominent author life.

The book follows a socially declining family on the brink of change in Dominica. The affluent white family has three daughters and a Black maid, and each daughter ends up taking a different path in life. It is loosely autobiographical, yet the narrator is the Black maid. This is a choice that makes me somewhat uncomfortable, and that feeling persists throughout the book. For me, Phyllis is rewriting the story of the people who worked for her family. Even though there are interesting insights into the decline of the white Creole family in Dominica at the time, an uncomfortable, patronising tone lingers over the whole narrative. While it is certainly a product of its time, the story does have compelling elements. For instance, the daughters return to Dominica after years away to find a changed island that affects each of them differently. Ultimately, I can’t say that I love the book; while Joanne’s book was long, it was still captivating, whereas I just couldn’t get into the rhythm of this one.

Documentaries from Dominica 

Dominica is a popular filming location for international movies, with parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise having been shot there. While the island does not have a fully established, commercial film industry, several local filmmakers direct and produce independent projects, many of which are documentaries. Even without a major studio infrastructure to support them—or perhaps because of this very limitation—some of these documentaries are incredibly impactful. I have managed to see a few of them myself, and I have even rewatched one several times.

Uncivilized (Michael Lees, 2019)

Uncivilized is a wonderful, deeply meaningful, award-winning documentary by young Dominican filmmaker Michael Lees. What starts as an “alone à la Dominica” survival experiment in the rainforest evolves into a much bigger story about the meaning of life and our relationship with nature. In the film, Michael decides to live in the Dominican rainforest for six months without modern devices, vices, or any connection to the outside world. Seeking a spiritual quest, he wants to understand what truly constitutes a good life. However, three months into his journey, Category 5 Hurricane Maria strikes the island, causing devastating property damage and tragic loss of life. Suddenly faced with his own mortality and the peril of his family and friends, Michael undergoes an experience that leaves a profound impact on him.

Michael was born in England to a Dominican mother and an English father, and spent his childhood in Dominica before relocating to the US to study film. His documentaries explore themes of identity, environmentalism, humanity, and nature.

I watched this documentary three times: first by myself, then with my husband, Johannesburg Karelia, and finally with my children, Lisboa and Amsterdam. It is a wonderful documentary—earnest, raw, and honest in its approach, physicality, and spiritual journey. Perhaps without the “interference” of Hurricane Maria, it would not have risen to the height it does, but it beautifully evolves into a story about what truly matters in life. What starts as an individual quest and one man’s journey ultimately grows into a profound understanding of connection, community, and coexistence.

Dominica: charting a future for paradise (Wyatt Bardouille, 2011) 

Dominica: Charting a Future for Paradise, a 35-minute documentary filmed in 2008, won Best Documentary Short at the 2012 Third World Independent Film Festival. It explores the sentiments of the Dominican past, present, and future around the 30th anniversary of the island’s independence from the United Kingdom. The filmmaker, Wyatt, interviews several people from different backgrounds—including local residents and the Dominican diaspora—who discuss the economic challenges, alongside possibilities for development and progress on the island. It is an interesting exercise in collective reflection regarding history, struggle, and a shared vision for the future.

Other documentaries I am hoping to watch include Women of Dominica, directed by Farrah La Ronde-Hutchison, which is currently making its way through the festival circuit, as well as Climate Blueprint: Dominica (2023) by Emily Wilkinson and the ODI.

Next stop: the Dominican Republic