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Hi! We are back, guys, and we are back with more good food. This time around, let’s talk about a cuisine that many people may not have tried yet: Haitian food. Haitian cuisine is a Creole cuisine that comes from a blend of African, French, Arab, Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and Hispaniola cuisines. Haitian food also has many similarities with the “criollo” cuisine.
The Haitians endured many years of adaptation until they perfected their own style despite influences from other cultures. In that regard, Haitian food is normally both bold and spicy, and their dishes often contain ingredients like avocado, black pepper, cinnamon, vinegar, habanero, black beans, and many more that will be mentioned when we start talking about the dishes.
Haitian cuisine is often considered as part of the acclaimed and loved “Caribbean cuisine”, but it maintains a different and unique flavor from the other ones. The Haitians are known for their extensive use of herbs and peppers, and this is good because, as we said before, these ingredients and the complexity of French cuisine give this food a very special flavor. Also, despite Haitian food being high in carbohydrates, their diet is also filled with proteins, so this cuisine is very healthy. The Haitian diet is based on rice, corn, beans, and millet; seafood and meat are also eaten, but they are not affordable for everyone.
Let’s see some of their most known and important dishes:
1. Soupe Joumou
Let’s begin this with the most important Haitian dish and also their national dish. Soupe Joumou is a dish that is eaten on New Year’s Day every year to celebrate the country’s independence. Therefore, it is a very special part of the country and is a very good example of their culture, which, in a way, can be compared to the role hallacas have in Venezuela when it comes to Christmas, as was stated in the article covering that nation’s cuisine.
This dish is a pumpkin soup or squash. It includes a mixture of lemon juice, ginger, root vegetables, and onions. It is often served hot and is usually accompanied with bread. Eating this Haitian food is poetic. It is considered a symbol of strength, revolution, and freedom, and it is part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
As some people may have found out by now, this is one of the most important Haitian dishes from a cultural perspective. Therefore, it is an option that people need to pick at least once when it comes to this country’s cuisine.
2. Griot
The next dish is emblematic, often served at parties, and considered by many to be another national dish. The griot consists of pork shoulder marinated in epis (a mixture of spices and Haitian herbs and vegetables), fried until crispy brown, and then served with tostones (also known as bannann peze) or rice.
One of the best things about this dish is that it can be used as a snack because of the small pieces of pork shoulder are very easy to eat. In that regard, it is a very flexible dish for people who want a bit of variety in their diet. It can be argued that is the best of both worlds from that perspective.
3. Ze Bouyi Fig
This next dish is considered one of the tastiest ones and also, this one is a dish that you wouldn’t find in a restaurant but on the streets. The Ze Bouyi Fig is the simplest dish you can ever imagine; it simply consists of a boiled egg accompanied by banana figs. In some cases, the egg is served with hot sauce.
That’s it. Of course, you can eat them separately or together, but they taste better together. It is the perfect breakfast, and it is worth trying at home or if you go to Haiti. When compared to other dishes on this list, this one is certainly a lot easier to do and doesn’t have a lot going on in terms of variety, but the taste is where it is at.
4. Pikliz
This next Haitian food is one of those foods that you either love or hate, so don’t worry if you hate this dish to death. The Pikliz is a spicy mixture of shredded carrots, cabbage, and onions pickled with lime juice and vinegar.
It is also worth pointing out that Pikliz is more of an accompaniment to meat and fried rice, despite not being a “main course.” This dish deserves to be here thanks to its strong and spicy flavor and its originality, which has been praised by some.
As an added bonus, this dish is very healthy, which is good news for those who want to live a healthier lifestyle. Furthermore, it is easy to make and has many interesting details that make it an enjoyable experience.
5. Tonmtonm Ak Sos Kalalou
It's probably one of the strangest names for a food you could ever imagine, but the taste is not strange at all; it’s magical despite the dish’s complexity. The Tonmtonm Ak Sos Kalalou is a classical food consisting of a mound of breadfruit, which tastes like potato, with a gumbo sauce made of meat, onion, and tomatoes.
This is one of the most classical dishes of Haitian cuisine, and it is also one of the most recommended Haitian foods for those who want to enter this world. It could be argued that this is one of the best places to start if people want to get into this cuisine. Furthermore, the combination of all of these different ingredients makes for a much more enjoyable experience.
As mentioned earlier, the name might be a little weird and hard to remember, but its taste is enough to compensate.
6. Griyo
This is another dish that many Haitian people consider a national dish, and for that reason alone, we can assure you that it is delicious. Griyo is a dish made of braised pork, that is, forgive the redundancy, first braised and then fried.
In some areas of Haiti, pork is often washed in orange juice before cooking because fresh water is hard to find. Since its origins, Griyo has been considered a high-class dish because of the pork, thus making it a high-quality meat.
For those who love to eat meat, Griyo is the best way to go in that department. It has a lot of value and offers a great taste as well. In many ways, this is probably the most popular Haitian dish that includes meat, although that is up for debate as well.
7. Marinad
This one is my personal favorite because I love crispy and deep-fried food so much. This one is named Marinad and it is fritters cooked in hot oil with usually chicken or fish as a filling. The end result must be soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, but the marinade is the most important and defining factor of this dish Marinad is sometimes eaten as a snack for special occasions, but even as a snack, the Marinad is an iconic quick Haitian food that is easy to perfect.
8. Diri Shela Poul Fri
It is another dish with a long and strange name, but it looks extremely amazing and tastes delicious. The Diri Shela Poul Fri is essentially fried chicken served with white rice but with some extra ingredients. The chicken is coated with lime and vinegar and is also marinaded with cloves, thyme, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. This is, by far, one of the best-fried chicken dishes out there and one of the most popular dishes in Haitian food, so if you are a fried chicken lover, you must try Diri Shela Poul Fri.
Just like any other type of food, the best way to order this dish (or any other type of Haitian food) is by asking for recommendations. If you are unfamiliar with this food, tell the chef or the waiter what you like, and he/she will tell you the best options for you.
Finding Haitian Food Near You
Eager to try all these dishes but not sure where to start? Finding Haitian food near you might be easier than you think. Check out local Central American markets and restaurants specializing in this type of cuisine, or use food apps to discover hidden gems. And remember, the best way to enjoy Haitian cuisine is to dive in with friends, share dishes, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage that each bite offers.
Haiti is a very unique country in Central America and their food is the end result of a lot of different influences. Give them a chance and you are not going to regret it.
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