Everything about Haitian Cuisine totally explained
Haitian cuisine is a mixture of various cuisines, of a similar nature with fellow
Latin American countries. It employs similar techniques with the rest of the
Caribbean with influences from
French,
Spanish, and
African cuisines, and a few derivatives from native
Taino culinary techniques. Though similar to other cooking styles in the region, it carries a uniqueness native only to the country and an appeal to many visitors to the island. Haitians use vegetables and meats extensively and peppers and similar herbs are often used for strengthening flavor. Haitian cuisine tends to be moderately spicy, not mild and not too hot. In the country, however, many businesses of foreign origin have been established introducing several foreign cuisines into the mainstream culture. Years of adaptation have led to these cuisines (
Levantine, for example) to merge into Haitian cuisine.
Rice and beans in several differing ways are eaten throughout the country regardless of location, becoming a sort of national dish. They form the staple diet, which consists of a lot of
starch and is high in
carbohydrates. In the more rural areas, however, at great distances from the major cities, other foods are eaten to a larger degree such as 'mayi moulen'; a dish comparable to
cornmeal that can be eaten with 'sos pwa' (a sauce consisting of blended beans), fish, or alone depending on personal preference.
Tomato,
oregano,
cabbage,
avocado,
kidney beans (along with many other varieties of beans),
red and
green peppers are several of the many types of vegetables/fruits that are used in dishes. Banane Pézé', flattened plantain slices that are fried in oil is known as
tostones in the
Dominican Republic and
Puerto Rico, and are very popular in Haiti as both a snack food and as part of a meal. They are frequently eaten with "tasso" and/or "griot", which is cooked beef and pork respectively.
Mangé Kréyol
Mangé Kréyol (
Haitian Creole) is what is essentially known as
criollo cooking (
criollo meaning "creole") in other countries. This encompasses most of what is regularly cooked in Haiti involving the extensive use of herbs, and unlike the similar but different methods in
Cuban cooking, the use of peppers. A typical dish would probably be a plate of
diri cole ak pwa, which is brown rice with red kidney beans or
pinto beans glazed with a
marinade as a sauce and topped off with
red snapper or fish with tomatoes and
onions. The dish might even be accompanied by
bouyon (
bouillon), known as
sancocho in some neighboring countries. Bouillon is a hearty stew consisting of many spices, potatoes, tomatoes, and meats such as goat or beef.
Rice is occasionally eaten with beans by itself, but more often than not, some sort of meat is put with the meal. Chicken or
poule is frequently eaten along with goat meat (
cabrit) and beef (
bèf). Chicken is often boiled in its own specially made marinade consisting of
lemon juice,
black pepper,
cumin,
garlic and other seasonings. The mixture along with water is boiled with the chicken in it to give the cooked chicken the unique taste it has.
Drinks
Beer
Beer is often drunk at festivals, parties, and occasionally with a meal. The most praised as well as the most widely drunk brand of beer in Haiti is
Prestige, a very popular mild
lager with a taste similar to many commercialized beers such as
Budweiser and
Miller Light. The beer has a light and crisp yet mildly sweet taste with a vague yet strong flavor reminiscent of several
American-style beers because of the nice balance of
malt and
hops.
Rum
Haiti is also internationally known for its
rum. The most known is Haiti is the well-praised
Rhum Barbancourt, the nation's most famous alcoholic drink in terms of international standards and considered one of the best in the world. It is unique in that the breweries use
sugarcane juice directly instead of
molasses like other types of rum. The rum is marketed in approximately 20 countries and uses a process of
distillation similar to the process used to produce
cognac. The liquory creamed drink called
Cremas is also drunk in Haiti. It is a popular beverage usually consumed as part of dessert or simply by itself.
Non-alcoholic
Due to its tropical climate, juice is a popular drink in Haiti. Juices of many fruits are made and can be found everywhere.
Guava juice,
grapefruit juice,
mango juice, along with the juices of several other citrus fruits (
oranges etc.). Juice is the
de facto beverage to accompany regular meals in households. Malta is also a popular non-alcoholic drink consisting of unfermented
barley with
molasses added for flavor. In more urban areas of the nation, the people enjoy Americanized drinks such as an array of soft drinks, in which
Coca Cola dominates all other local soft drinks. Milkshakes are also drunk regularly.
Desserts
Many types of desserts are eaten in Haiti ranging from the mildly to the extremely sweet. Sugarcane is used frequently in the making of these desserts however
granulated sugar is also used often. One very popular is
fresco which can be whipped up quickly. Fresco is a similar to an Italian Ice, however it consists primarily of fruit syrup. The syrup is moderately thick and very sweet. It is frequently sold by street vendors. The sweet smell of this candy-like snack often attracts
honeybees and a common sight on the streets is a hurried vendor handing out frescos surrounded by a swirl of bees.
Pain Patate is a soft
sweetbread made using cinnamon,
evaporated milk, and
sweet potato. It is usually served cold from the refrigerator but it can be eaten at room temperature.
Akasant is a thick milkshake with a consistency similar to that of porridge (another popular dessert made with green bananas). It is made using many of the same ingredients as
Pain Patate consisting of evaporated milk, sugar, and corn flour. It tastes very good and often goes with one of the country's best appetizers,
Patés, or meat patties with a crispy bread crust for the outer layer.
List of some Haitian dishes
- Du riz a pois or Diri ak Pwa Rice and beans
- Mais Moulu or Mayi Moulen Cornmeal
- Tassot et Banane Pesé or Tasso et Banane Pézé (Fried Beef and Plantains)
- Du riz a poulet or Diri ak Poule (Rice with Chicken)
- Du riz a légumes or Diri ak Légumes (Rice with Légumes, a vegetable mixture)
- Du riz collé a sauce-pois or Diri Colé ak Sos Pwa (Rice with bean sauce)
- Du riz blanche a sause-pois noir or Diri Blan ak Sos Pwa Noir (White rice and black bean sauce)
- Canard or Kanard Fri (Fried duck)
- Cabrit or Kabrit (goat meat)
- Chocolat des Cayes or Chokolat La Kaye (homemade cocoa)
- Du riz djon djon or Diri Djon Djon (Rice in black mushroom sauce)
- Griot or Griot (Fried boar/pork)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Haitian Cuisine'.
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