Haitian cuisine
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Haitian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices from Haiti. It is a Creole cuisine that originates from a blend of several culinary styles that populated the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, namely African, French, indigenous Taíno, Spanish and Arab influences.[1] Haitian cuisine has some similarities with "criollo" (Spanish for 'creole') cooking and similar to the rest of the Caribbean, but differs in several ways from its regional counterparts. Flavors are bold and spicy demonstrating African and French influences,[2] with notable derivatives coming from native Taíno and Spanish techniques.
Levantine influences have made their way into the mainstream culture, due to an Arab migration over the years. Years of adaptation have led to these cuisines to merge into Haitian cuisine.[1]
History
Pre-colonial cuisine
Haiti was one of many Caribbean islands inhabited by the Taíno natives, speakers of an
Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, a Spanish explorer, was the first to use the word "barbecoa" in print in Spain in 1526 in the Diccionario de la Lengua Española (2nd Edition) of the Real Academia Española. After Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, the Spaniards found native Haitians roasting animal meat over a grill consisting of a wooden framework resting on sticks and a fire made underneath so that flames and smoke would rise and envelop the animal meat, giving it a certain flavor. Strangely enough, the same framework was used as a means of protection against the wild that may attack during the middle of the night while at sleep.[6][7] The barbecue not only survived in the Haitian cuisine, but was introduced to many different parts of the world and has numerous regional variations.
Colonial cuisine
Since independence from France, the French influence has remained evident in the Haitian society, not only in the usage of the language but in the contributions to the cuisine. French cheeses, breads and desserts are still common foods found at local stores and markets.[10]
Popular ingredients
Popular ingredients for preparing cuisine include: [citation needed]
- Apricot
- Avocado
- Basil
- Banana
- Bay leaf
- Beef
- Beetroot
- Bouillon cube
- Black bean
- Black pepper
- Breadfruit
- Bulgar wheat (locally known as "blé")
- Cabbage
- Calabaza (a squash, also called "West Indian pumpkin")
- Carrot
- Cashew nuts
- Cayenne pepper
- Cassava (locally known as 'cassave')
- Chicken
- Chicken broth
- Chayote
- Chickpeas
- Chives
- Cinnamon
- Cloves
- Coconut milk
- Coconut
- Cod fish
- Conch
- Condensed milk
- Coriander
- Cornmeal
- Corn starch
- Cowfoot
- Crab meat
- Dewberry
- Dried and salted cod
- Dried black trumpet mushroom (locally called "djon-djon")
- Eggplant
- Eggs
- Evaporated milk
- Ginger
- Goat meat
- Grapefruit
- Green peas
- Grenadine
- Ground cloves
- Guava
- Habanero (pepper)
- Herring
- Hominy
- Jerk spice
- Kidney bean (also called "red bean")
- Lobster meat
- Lamb meat
- Lard
- Leek
- Lemon
- Lima bean
- Malanga (also called "accra")
- Mango
- Millet
- Molasses
- Mushroom
- Mustard
- Onion
- Oxtail
- Okra
- Papaya
- Passion fruit
- Parsley
- Polenta
- Pork
- Pigeon peas
- Pineapple
- Pinto bean
- Plantain
- Quenepe
- Rhum
- Rice
- Rosemary
- Salted beef
- Salted fish
- Scotch bonnet
- Shallot
- Shrimp
- Soursop
- Sour orange
- Spinach
- Star anise
- Sweet potato
- Sugarcane
- Sugarcane juice
- Tamarind
- Taro root
- Tomato sauce
- Vanilla extract
- Vinegar
- Watercress
- Yam
Popular foods
Haitian cuisine is often lumped together with other regional islands as "
Rice is occasionally eaten with beans alone, but more often than not, some sort of meat completes the dish.
Légume Haïtien (or simply "légume'" in Haiti), is a thick vegetable stew consisting of a mashed mixture of eggplant, cabbage, chayote, spinach, watercress and other vegetables depending on availability and the cook's preference. It is flavored with épice, onions, garlic, and tomato paste, and generally cooked with beef or crab. Légume is most often served with rice, but may also be served with other starches, including mais moulin (mayi moulen), a savory cornmeal porridge similar to polenta or grits), petit mil (cooked millet), or blé (wheat).
Other starches commonly eaten include yam, sweet potato, potato, and breadfruit. These are frequently eaten with a thin sauce consisting of tomato paste, onions, spices, and dried fish.
Tchaka is a hearty stew consisting of hominy, beans, joumou (squash), and meat (often pork).
Boulette are bread-bound meatballs seasoned in Haitian fashion.[12]
Spaghetti is most often served in Haiti as a breakfast dish and is cooked with hot dogs, dried herring, and spices, then served with tomato sauce and sometimes raw watercress.[citation needed]
One of the country's best-known appetizers is the
Regional dishes
Regional dishes also exist throughout Haiti. In the area around Jérémie, in the Grand'Anse department at the southwest tip of the country on the Gulf of Gonâve, a dish called tonmtonm, which is steamed breadfruit called lam veritab mashed in a pilon, is eaten. Tonmtonm is swallowed without chewing, using a slippery sauce made of okra (kalalou), cooked with meat, fish, crab, and savory spices. Tonmtonm is very similar to West African fufu. Another regional dish called poul ak nwa (poulet aux noix de cajou), which is chicken with cashew nuts), is from the north of the country, in the area around Cap-Haïtien.
Waves of migration have also influenced Haitian cuisine. For example, immigrants from Lebanon and Syria brought kibbeh, which has been adopted into Haitian cuisine.
The flavor base of much Haitian cooking is
. It is also used as a basic condiment for rice and beans and is also used in stews and soups.Bouillon cubes are often used by Haitian cooks, especially with the increasingly imported Maggi brand.[13]
Food by departments
Department | Dish |
---|---|
Artibonite | Lalo stew and white rice |
Centre | Goat meat and turkey meat |
Grand'Anse | Tonmtonm with okra stew |
Nippes | |
Nord | Chicken stew with cashew nuts and djondjon rice |
Nord-Est | |
Nord-Ouest | |
Ouest | Rice and peas with griot, Haitian patties, Haitian spaghetti |
Sud-Est | Poisson gros-de-sel |
Sud | Conch and fish |
Beverages and drinks
Beer
Rum
Haiti is known internationally for its rum. Rhum Barbancourt is a well-known producer. Haitian rum is unique in that the distilleries use sugarcane juice directly instead of molasses like other types of rum, hence the added "h" in rhum to differentiate. The rum is marketed in approximately 20 countries and uses a process of distillation similar to the process used to produce cognac.[1]
Clairin
Crémas
Non-alcoholic
Due to its tropical climate, juice is a mainstay in Haiti. Juices from many fruits are commonly made and can be found everywhere.
Desserts
Many types of desserts are eaten in Haiti ranging from the mild to sweet. Sugarcane is used frequently in the making of these desserts, although
List of Haitian dishes
- Bouillon
- Brochette
- Cassave or kasav (flatbread made out of dried, processed bitter cassava, sometimes flavored with sweetened coconut)[24]
- Chocolat des Cayes or Chokola La Kaye (homemade cocoa)
- Doukounou (cornmeal pudding; neither sweet or savory)
- Du riz blanche a sause pois noir or diri blan ak sos pwa nwa (white rice and black bean sauce)
- Du riz djon djon or diri ak djon djon (rice in black mushroom sauce)
- Du riz a légume or diri ak legim (rice with legumes)
- Du riz a pois or diri ak pwa (rice and beans)
- Du riz a pois rouges or diri ak pwa wouj (rice and red beans)
- Du riz a sauce pois or diri ak sos pwa (rice with bean sauce)
- Du riz a Lalo
- Griot (seasoned fried pork with scallions and peppers in a bitter orange sauce)[25]
- Macaroni au Gratin (macaroni and cheese)
- Marinade
- Pain Haïtien (Haitian Bread)
- Pâté Haïtien (Haitian patty) - A very popular savory snack made with a delicate puff pastry stuffed with ground beef, salted cod (bacalao), smoked herring, chicken, and ground turkey topped with spices for a bold and spicy unique flavor.[26]
- Peanut Pralines
- Picklese or Pikliz (a slaw-like condiment made with spicy pickled cabbage, onion, carrot, and Scotch bonnet peppers)[25]
- Salade de Betteraves (Beet salad)
- Sauce Ti-Malice or Sos Ti-Malice (a spicy tangy sauce usually served over Griot or Cabrit)
- Soup joumou
- Tassot et bananes pesées or Taso ak bannann peze (Fried Goat and fried plantains)
- Tostones
- Poul an Sòs (Chicken in Creole Sauce)
- Potato gratin
- Salad Rus (beets, potato and egg salad)
See also
References
- ^ ISBN 9781462888146. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ "What is a Haitian Patty?". Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ISBN 0-936171-03-0.
- ^ "The History of Barbecue in the South: The Etymology of Barbecue". American Studies at the University of Virginia. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
- ^ O'Connell, Joe. "Oxford English Dictionary and Barbecue". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
- ^ "Barbecue, a Haitian Tradition". Retrieved 2014-10-13.
- ^ "Cultural Information: Haiti". Archived from the original on 2014-08-30. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
- ^ "What Became of the Taíno?". Smithsonian. October 2011. Archived from the original on 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2014-10-28.
- ISBN 978-0-520-24220-3. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Food In Haiti". Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- ^ "Haitian Immigration: 18th & 19th Centuries" Archived 2018-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, In Motion: African American Migration Experience, New York Public Library, accessed 18 June 2015
- ISBN 9781111799700. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
- ISBN 9780313376276. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
- ^ ISBN 9780810878105. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ISBN 158432256X. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ISBN 1891620134. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ISBN 9780765807335. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ISBN 0870496581. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ Steve, Bennett. "Cola Couronne: Try The Sweetest, Most Popular Taste of Haiti". Uncommon Caribbean. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
- ISBN 9781841624150. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
- ^ Nicaise, Molly. "History of Haitian Coffee".
- ^ "Papaya Juice Milk Shake (Jus Papaye)". haitiancooking.com.
- ^ "3 Most Popular Haitian Desserts". TasteAtlas.
- ISBN 9781584322566. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- ^ a b Clark, Melissa, ed. (6 March 2015). "Haitian Griot Is a Postcard From the Caribbean". Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ISBN 9780781809986. Retrieved 4 April 2014.