Fish in coconut sauce is a Dominican dish that originated in our territory with Black immigrants, especially the freed Black people brought from the United States by Haitian President Boyer when he invaded the country in 1822, establishing colonies in Puerto Plata (San Marcos and Cabarete) and in Samaná, where the largest number of families settled.

The fish is cooked and coconut milk is prepared, which is then mixed with seasonings, becoming one of the country’s most iconic and exquisite dishes. There is a close link between enslaved Africans and coconut, since during the voyage to the Americas they ate the husk of dried coconuts, along with hardtack and chestnuts. In that sense, there is a bond of identity between the descendants of enslaved people and coconut.

In the Dominican Republic, fresh fish caught in the Caribbean Sea and coconut, the fruit of the island’s palm trees, come together harmoniously in Dominican kitchens, connected through seasonings and through the history of Black communities, who have contributed significantly to the country’s gastronomy.

This dish is so typical in Samaná that there is “Samaná-style fish with coconut.” Its inhabitants have historically combined creativity with the resources provided by land and sea to create this delicious dish, known even worldwide.

The Black immigrants who lived in this area brought with them a range of new culinary recipes that took root in the provinces where they settled and that today form part of Creole gastronomic culture. This culinary tradition is very distinctive, because many of its dishes are prepared with coconut, with fish in coconut sauce being one of the most recognized, despite its simple preparation, as we have noted in other parts of this work about different fish preparations.

This authentic recipe is made with fish, coconut milk, salt, garlic, oregano, and, optionally, tomato sauce. Almost no one can resist trying a delicious Samaná-style fish with coconut, and to accompany it, nothing beats white rice or moro de guandules, which on this peninsula are also often cooked with coconut.