Dominica Gourmet: A Unique Spin on Traditional Dominican Cuisine Receives overwhelming support
A hobby that began during the Covid-19 pandemic when one Dominican living in the United States was trying to figure out how to use her time has evolved into a publication creatively highlighting Dominica’s traditional cuisine now available for the world to recreate.
‘Dominica Gourmet: A Unique Spin on Traditional Dominican Cuisine’ was launched during Dominica’s festive 2022 Independence Season on October 29, 2022, at the Fort Young Hotel. The book, written by Mayma Raphael, offers a curated selection of recipes highlighting Dominica’s most traditional recipes.
“This all started two and half years ago when we were in the height of the pandemic, and people were trying to figure out what to do with their time. Some people were making banana bread, some were on TikTok tiktoking, and I decided to join the renaissance of Dominican cooking. So I reverted to my culture, to a safe space where I felt comfortable,” Raphael recounts during the official cookbook launch.
Mayma Raphael was born and raised in the quaint northern community of Thibaud, Dominica. Her early years began as a teacher before her family moved to Canada. She now lives in Silicon Valley, California, with her family.
Raphael says she reverted to a safe space during the doubtful days of the pandemic when lockdown was on and everyone had enough time on their hands. So she began to explore her love for the kitchen and shared her creations on social media. Her delicious display of local cuisine on ‘Dominica Food’, a Facebook page highlighting the island’s cuisine, received rave reviews and drew scores of fans to her appealing food creations. The response, she says, was overwhelming and encouraged her to create more recipes to the delight of food lovers.
She viewed the page as a “movement to appreciate our culture and a sense of community that brought us all together for food and comfort.”
“I went on there every day and started sharing my food, and I never really thought it would amount to anything,” she says.
Her recipes include broth, callaloo, red bean soup, bakes, accra, souse, green banana, codfish, and other mouth-watering lists of delicious Dominica cuisine, all with a unique spin.
“If someone had told me three years ago you would be doing this, I would have said something terrible to them in Kweyol,” she jokes.
Her newfound love for cooking at such a level led to the creation of an online blog, ‘Dominica Gourmet’, and eventually to the cookbook Dominica Gourmet: A Unique Spin on Traditional Dominica Cuisine.
Now, the cookbook, which was not even a thought then, had received overwhelming support and had many pre-orders even before the launch.
The author says the first order of cookbooks is now available on Amazon and will be available in Dominica, in mid to late December, at GBA Enterprises in Roseau, at the airport, and at local bookstores.
At the launch, Raphael announced that fifty percent of the proceeds of copies sold at the event would be gifted to the Grotto Home for the Homeless. The Grotto Home for the Homeless takes care of the destitute and has been a charitable institution serving the community for decades. On December 5, her Dominican distributor, owner of GBA Enterprise, Geoff Astaphan, handed a check of $2589.58 to the Grotto Home.
Raphael explains this decision is in memory of her mother, Magdalene Augustine Massicot. She recalls her mum as kind-hearted and always zealous in assisting members of their tight-knit community in Dominica. They were always welcome in her kitchen.
According to Raphael, she sees that book as a celebration of Dominican culture while celebrating Dominican cuisine. Throughout the book, she reflects on childhood memories that many people can relate to. Her authentic storytelling and integration of recipes give the book a very nostalgic feeling of a beautiful Dominican childhood.
The cookbook can be ordered on amazon using:
