Antiguan ducana is a sweet potato dumpling traditionally served with saltfish.
The mixture commonly includes grated sweet potato, coconut, sugar, flour, and spices. It is wrapped in a banana leaf and boiled or steamed, producing a dense, sweet, fragrant dumpling. The savory saltfish provides a deliberate contrast to ducana’s sweetness.
Ducana belongs to the wider family of Caribbean boiled and steamed dumplings shaped by African, Indigenous, and European culinary influences. Although similar sweet potato preparations exist in neighboring islands, ducana is particularly associated with Antigua and Barbuda.
It is sometimes confused with fungi, the cornmeal-based dumpling or dish associated with Antigua and other eastern Caribbean cuisines. The key distinction is the main ingredient: ducana is centered on sweet potato, while fungi is based on cornmeal.