As my adventures in Dominica slowly wound to a close, I had two exotic local delicacies for my final dinner on the island: manicou and agouti! Manicou is made from opossum, while agouti is made from a rodent similar to guinea pigs. Join me on this surprising food adventure in Dominica!
We’d be eating at Bell Hall Beach Spot, an epic restaurant on a gorgeous beach overlooking the ocean. It was my first time having opossum, and I was excited to try it. They already had some stewed manicou and stewed agouti with dumplings and carrots sauteeing on the stove. They also grilled us some octopus with garlic sauce and starfruit, and the “sea cockroach,” which is in the lobster family.
I’ve never had opossum, so I couldn’t wait. I had the opportunity to have some in Louisiana back in 2017, but I turned it down at the time. Now, my palate was feeling way more adventurous!
We took our food outside to eat. Our wonderful chef came and enjoyed the meal with us. She brought us conch chowder, coconut curry tuna, coconut curry vegetables, grilled octopus, the sea cockroach with garlic butter, a salad, and of course, the manicou and agouti.
I started with the agouti, which was so tender, it fell right off the bone. I loved it with the dumplings and the rich, brown gravy. It reminded me a bit of goulash, a dish I grew up eating. It was like a better, tastier version of the guinea pig I ate in Ecuador years ago.
The manicou was bony but also meaty and smoky. It was insanely delicious. the tail had a bit of fat on it, and the meat was juicy and fresh. But keep in mind that manicou and agouti are seasonal and are only available for a few months, from September to November. It’s illegal tothem catch any other time of the year.
Next, I jumped on the sea cockroach, which was sweet and buttery and full of flavor. There was also so much meat inside it!
The grilled octopus was easy to eat. The meat was buttery and succulent, and not rubbery or tough like octopus can be sometimes. Next was the curry tuna with potatoes. The coconut milk combined with the fish blew my mind. I loved it with rice!
Then, I jumped on the conch chowder, which was thick and full of tasty, succulent meat. After eating, I headed to the bar for a potent ginger shot and a medicinal shot was so strong, I needed to chase it with two shots of water.
Finally, I tried a marijuana punch, which I chased with some ginger beer. I couldn’t leave before thanking the cooks, so I went back to the kitchen to thank them all for an incredible meal and a great final night in Dominica!
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