Antigua and Barbuda: Culinary Raisin Feuds, Dialect Pride, Heritage
Deep cultural pride in Antigua and Barbuda finds its most spirited expression not in cricket or politics but in cherished practices passed down through generations. From dumpling controversies to dialect nuances, these traditions illuminate a rich African heritage worth preserving.
The Great Ducana Debate
In Antigua and Barbuda, few subjects can spark as much good-humored contention as including raisins in ducana. This sweet potato and coconut dumpling, with its roots traced back to West African cuisine, stands as a symbol of community and identity in the twin-island nation. Opinions on the “right way” to prepare ducana are so passionately held that residents have debated them for decades, creating a sense of shared experience and community.
Now, a national project is compiling an inventory of Antigua and Barbuda’s cultural heritage. This includes a spotlight on indigenous foods—like ducana—and has reinvigorated the question: To raisin or not to raisin? Supporters of the classic raisin version say that the sweet taste and soft feel of the dried fruit fit the coconut blend perfectly. On the other hand, traditionalists hold that the dish’s special taste comes only from the sweet potato and coconut, not from extras that shift its original nature.
This lively debate over ducana and raisins is a testament to the cultural significance of Caribbean food. As one chef humorously put it, ‘We talk more about raisins in ducana than we do about the weather.’ While the disagreement may never be settled, it underscores the cultural value of preserving recipes and the passion and honor that surround them.
The sweetness is more than an ingredient for the many who cherish ducana: it reminds them of family gatherings, market visits, and a broader African legacy. Indeed, according to project leader Dr. Hazra Medica, who spoke to the BBC about the work in progress, the overarching aim is to protect precisely these communal and historical ties. “Outside influences can dilute indigenous culture,” Dr. Medica noted. “We fear that what is peculiarly Antiguan will be lost.”
Heritage at Risk: Documenting Language, Crafts, and Cuisine
While dishes like ducana and fungee often take the spotlight, the cultural inventory in Antigua and Barbuda is far-reaching. Thanks to funding from UNESCO, a comprehensive survey is underway to preserve a wide array of local traditions, including language, crafts, architecture, and more. This initiative plays a crucial role in safeguarding the diverse aspects of Antiguan and Barbudan life.
Dr. Medica explained to the BBC that the project’s impetus comes from a concern that core elements of Antiguan and Barbudan identity are vanishing. “There is no longer the traditional transmission of knowledge from older to younger people,” she said. “Without that, we start to lose the sense of who we are.” This underscores the importance of each individual’s role in preserving their heritage, instilling a sense of responsibility in the audience.
This sense of urgency is most visible in the domain of language. Antigua and Barbuda’s everyday conversation features a spirited Creole/English dialect known for its rapid cadence and clever fusion of African linguistic structures. Joy Lawrence, a local author and former schoolteacher, told the BBC how she revels in the rhythm and warmth of the local patois: “Our forebears worked hard to coin that language. It’s our first language; how can we not preserve what’s ours?” She observed that, historically, children were often rebuked for using dialect in school, a practice that contributed to its informal status.
Today, there is growing recognition of the dialect’s cultural value. “We have an economy of words and a sparse use of pronouns. Instead of saying, ‘Come here,’ we say, ‘Cumyah.’ We don’t say ‘not at all,’ we say ‘tarl.’ These aren’t random sounds—they’re echoes of our heritage, shaped by the fusion of West African languages and British colonial English.” This recognition instills a sense of pride in the audience, reinforcing the value of their cultural identity.
Dr. Medica also emphasizes the importance of bridging generational gaps. Younger Antiguans and Barbudans may feel pressured by older community members to follow rigid methods of preparing local dishes or speaking dialect ‘correctly.’ Some may be put off by what they perceive as strict rules, leading to a waning interest in the traditions. Variations in dishes like fungee, which can be made with okra in Antigua and peas in Barbuda, can spark lively ‘fungee wars,’ as Dr. Medica playfully calls them. Documenting and celebrating these variations equally may help diffuse tension and encourage young people to embrace an evolving culture.
Passing It On: Living Legacies of Food and Craft
More than two dozen specially trained data collectors have fanned out across Antigua’s parishes and Barbuda, gathering interviews, recording stories, and snapping photographs to ensure these Indigenous practices do not disappear. Their discoveries will be carefully stored in a public database, serving as a tool for future generations who wish to learn about their history.
One of the key people who strive to keep Antiguan tastes alive is culinary entrepreneur Novella Payne, famous for her “Granma Aki” collection of teas and sauces next to seasonings. She told the BBC that she first absorbed these skills from her mother and grandmother, but she also relishes adding her modern twists. “Our food is delicious, nutritious, and should be preserved because it’s part of our culture and heritage,” Ms. Payne explained. A key ingredient, she stressed, is the liberal use of garlic, onion, thyme, and seasoning peppers—aromatic staples in Antiguan cuisine.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Ms. Payne’s repertoire is her use of medicinal plants. In the twin islands, nature’s pharmacy is never far away. Bush medicines derived from soursop, lemongrass, noni, and moringa have long been used to ease fevers, stomach ailments, and respiratory complaints. By merging these staples with modern culinary creations, Ms. Payne honors ancestral wisdom while ensuring that younger consumers appreciate local plants’ flavors and health benefits.
Similarly, on the island of Barbuda, accountant-turned-craftsman Dwight Benjamin is among the last keepers of the traditional broom-making technique. During a BBC interview, Mr. Benjamin explained how he uses sun-dried palm leaves for the bristles, meticulously woven onto bay tree sticks. This method, given by his grandfather, stays important among locals who use the strong sweep of these handmade brooms over those made in factories. “I might be partial,” he said with a chuckle, “but I think they work better. They span more area too.” He wants his son to learn the skill one day, keeping a tradition that might vanish otherwise.
Bridging Past and Future: A Claim to Personhood
For Dr. Medica, the heritage inventory project has an even deeper resonance. “When we talk about culture in Caribbean islands, we tend to forget the engagement with our colonial past and the impact of that,” she told the BBC. “We’re told that our history began when Africans were brought here, projecting this notion that we came as empty vessels with no memory.”
African heritage lives strongly in Antigua and Barbuda. The language shows West African grammar and the food and crafts are based on African customs. The country’s past does not match a simple story of quiet adoption. Each folk remedy, each turn of phrase in the Creole dialect, and each recipe that calls for okra, peas, or coconut speaks to a broader journey from the mother continent to Caribbean shores.
“Watered-down accounts can sometimes overshadow the ingenuity and resilience of our ancestors,” Dr. Medica elaborated. “We see the evidence of African cultural retention everywhere. It feels good, and we can say, “This is who we are.” That statement, she explained, also shows that every person matters. “Me Smaddy too” stresses that everyone is important and respected. Recording these everyday customs – whether making ducana, preparing fungee using bush medicine, or weaving brooms – makes sure no part of life in Antigua and Barbuda is lost in old colonial stories. These customs show our ability to change and keep going next to support each other.
This list of cultural practices is not meant to stay fixed. By making the findings publicly available, the project encourages ongoing dialogue. Younger Antiguans and Barbudans can now find official recognition and detailed explanations for the customs they grew up with—demystifying practices that might once have seemed outdated or irrelevant. In turn, elders can share their knowledge with a renewed sense of purpose, confident that traditions dear to their hearts will not be forgotten.
This kind of intergenerational engagement has practical benefits, too. As climate change and global economic currents force adaptation, local crafts, and agricultural techniques could prove invaluable for sustainable living. Foods like ducana and fungee rely on crops that thrive in Caribbean conditions, while bush medicine harnesses plants that flourish in the region’s climate. These age-old resources may bring answers for tomorrow, whether to face food shortages or help people feel proud of their culture in a rapidly changing world.
In the end, the debate over whether raisins belong in Ducana may never please everyone. Yet that may be part of the charm of living customs. They shift and morph with each generation, reflecting local tastes, migrations, and inspirations. The lively debates ensure that culture remains a communal affair that invites participants to shape and reshape its evolution.
As Joy Lawrence reminded the BBC, the dialect is rarely written, often spelled “any old how,” yet vibrates with a soulful potency. Antigua and Barbuda’s recipes and crafts take on foreign ideas while holding fast to old African roots. The project to record these treasures, which was partly funded by UNESCO funds, honors the unseen traits that join a community together. In Dr. Medica’s words, it is a collective reclamation of identity: “A claim to personhood” that proudly states, “Me Maddy, too.”
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At its core, that statement shows that Antigua and Barbuda’s history does not only recount forced movement or colonization but also one of continuous life, where the words of African ancestors sound in every pot of hot cornmeal, every palm broom, along with every sudden phrase of patois. By recording treasuring next to spreading these parts, the two islands not only keep their unique background but also give the world a look at how cultural strength can link ages and seas – a sign of a brave people who choose to hold on to their flavors, speech, customs next to self for future time.
