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HAITIAN DISHES

Haitian cuisine is a fantastic fusion of African and Caribbean tastes. It uses techniques employed in the Caribbean region, influenced by the Spanish, African and French cuisines, and even some recipes of native Taino cooking. Although it is comparable to its Spanish neighbors, it is unique with its use of spices that most visitors find to be very appealing and tasty.

Haitians make use of meats and vegetables in a majority of their dishes and peppers and herbs are used to strengthen the flavor. Because of this, Haitian cuisine is fairly spicy, not too hot and not too mild.

Rice and beans are found in dishes everywhere in Haiti, kind of making it a national dish. In the more provincial regions, however, some foods are eaten more like the ‘mayi moulen’. It is a dish which is a bit like cornmeal that could be served with ‘sos pwa’ (a sauce made from blended beans), fish or as it is, depending on the individual’s taste.

Some vegetables and fruits that are usually made use of in their dishes are oregano, cabbage, tomato, avocado, cabbage and kidney beans and a lot of other kinds of beans.

HAITIAN CREOLE

Mangé Kréyol or Haitian Creole is what other countries call criollo (meaning “Creole”) cooking. It encompasses most of the Haitian dishes that involve using herbs and peppers, much like the taste of Cuban cooking, although through different techniques.

One typical dish would be the ‘du riz cole a pwa’. It is made with brown rice with pinto beans or red kidney beans with marinade glazed on it as a sauce and lastly, with a red snapper with onions and tomatoes as the topping. It may also be served with bouillon or a soup made from beef, tomatoes, potatoes and spices.

Rice is sometimes eaten with just beans but most of the time; meat is also served with the meal. Chicken or ‘poule’ is usually eaten with it, as well as goat meat or ‘cabrit’ and beef or ‘boeuf’. The chicken is typically cooked in a specially made marinade made from black pepper, cumin, lemon juice, garlic and some other seasonings. After adding water to the mixture, the chicken is boiled in it, which gives the chicken a very unique taste.

Some of the more popular Haitian dishes are 'Mayi Moulen' or Cornmeal, 'Diri ak Pwa' or Rice and Beans, 'Diri ak Poule' or Rice with Chicken, 'Tasso et Banane Pézé' or Fried Beef and Plantains, 'Diri Colé ak Sos Pwa' or Rice with Bean Sauce, Lambi ‘Conch’ (appreciates by men and if you are a Haitian man, you know why), 'Diri ak Légumes' or Rice with Légumes, 'Diri Blan ak Sos Pwa Noir' or White rice and Black Bean Sauce, 'Kabrit' or goat meat, 'Kanard Fri' or Fried duck, 'Griyo' or Fried boar/pork, and the most famous one, 'Diri ak Djon Djon' or Rice in Black Mushroom Sauce.

BEVERAGES

BEER

Beer is usually served at parties, celebrations, festivals, and sometimes with meals, as can be compared to any other country. The most popular Haitian beer brand is Prestige. It is a famous mild lager with its taste resembling other commercialized beers like Miller Light or Budweiser. Prestige has a crisp and light taste and a mixture of both a mildly sweet flavor and vague strong tang, which may remind you of some American beers, because of the good balance of hops and malt.

RUM

Haiti is also internationally famous for its rum, the most known of which is the Rhum Barbancourt. It is the country’s most popular alcoholic drink and is considered as one of the best rums from the Western Hemisphere. The reason why it has a unique and distinct taste is because the breweries use the juice of sugarcanes rather than molasses, like in other rums.

NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS

Juice is a widely popular beverage in Haiti because of its tropical climate. Some of the fruits made into juice are guavas, grapefruits, mangoes and other citrus fruits. Juice usually accompanies household meals. In the more urbanized areas of the country, people enjoy Coca-Cola and milkshakes. Another famous non-alcoholic drink is Malta, which is made from unfermented barley and molasses.  

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