Haitian cuisine - Haiti Observer Blog

A drink straight from our ancestors, the Haitian Akasan is our version of the popular indigenous cornmeal drinks popular throughout the Americas. Passed down from our Taino forbearers, this meal can be served hot or cold, in a cup or a dish. It's a particular Sunday Morning breakfast favorite when served with fresh rolls of bread.

What you will need to make Haitian Akasan or Corn Flour Drink:
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 1 cup of corn flour (very fine)
• Brown or white sugar (to taste)
• 4-6 anise stars
• 1 can of evaporated milk (12 ounces)
• Dash of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Lime zest

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Pikliz is a popular and traditional side-dish served as a salad, as part of a marinade, or as a flavor-enhancer to prepared Haitian foods. A very hot brew of several types of peppers and a sliced medley of vegetables pickled in vinegar, the heat level can be adjusted by adding more or less of Scotch bonnet peppers.

To make Pikliz, prepare a large enough quantity (50 servings) you can use over a several-month period. For 50 servings you will need:

• 6 Scotch bonnet peppers
• 2 cups of slivered or shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup of slivered or shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup slivered or shredded onion
• 1/4 cup of frozen peas
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt (if you want)
• 8-10 peppercorns
• 3 cups of white vinegar

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Krémas is pungent Haitian-style egg nog--but without the eggs--a festive drink prepared during the Christmas holidays in Haiti. The preparation is simple and shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, if you are an organized cook.

The tools needed to make Krémas are:
• a large punch bowl
• a whisk
• a ring of measuring spoons
• 1-cup measuring cup
• 1 wooden spoon for removing the cream of coconut from the can
• 6 to 8 cordial glasses

To prepare, assemble the following ingredients:
• 2-12 oz. cans of Carnation evaporated milk
• 4-12 oz. cans of sweetened condensed milk
• 1-15 oz. can sweetened cream of coconut
• 1 tsp. Mc Cormicks vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. Mc Cormicks almond extract
• 1 grated anise star
• 1 tsp. Mc Cormicks cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Mc Cormicks grated nutmeg
• 1 lime or lemon zest and juice of one lime or lemon
• 1/2 to 2 cups of 80-proof 5-star Barbancourt Dark Rum, or Bacardi Light Rum

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Haitian cooks make two versions of macaroni au gratin in their kitchens: quick-and-easy and gourmet style.

Quick-and-Easy Macaroni au Gratin

Assemble the following ingredients:

• 16 oz. cheese sauce
• 12 oz. carnation milk
• 2 tsp.. garlic powder
• 8 oz. prepared ziti
• 1 diced onion
• 4 diced green peppers
• salt to taste
• 3 tbspn. tomato paste

To prepare do the following:
Use a big mixing bowl and combine all ingredients. Place everything in a casserole dish and spoon parmesan cheese on top. Bake in an oven at 325 degrees, 15-25 minutes. It is done when the mixture bubbles and is light brown on top.

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Haitian marinades are a spiced batter, deep-fried. Three types of marinades are made in Haiti: fish, chicken, and vegetarian.

Fish Marinade uses smoked herring or codfish. Gather following:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup smoked herring or codfish
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tbspn salt
• 2 scallions
• 2 tbspn parsley
• 1 tsp each lime juice and hot sauce
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tbspn baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup oil

Combine all ingredients except oil, flour, and baking powder. Mix flour with baking powder in a separate bowl. Add flour/baking-powder mixture to rest of ingredients to make batter. Spoon dollops of batter into hot oil, turning them until brown.

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Haitian style Pain Patate, or sweet potato bread is a baked pudding. It is traditionally made with boniatas as regular sweet potatoes give a much stronger color to the treat than white potatoes. Either way, you should enjoy this tasty pastry.

What you will need:
• 2 lbs of sweet potatoes (white, washed, peeled and cut)
• 1 banana (large, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices)
• 1 cup sugar (brown)
• 1/2 cup raisins (seedless)
• 1 tsp. ginger (grated)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 12 oz can of evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg (grated)
• 1tsp cinnamon (ground)
• 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
• 1 grated lemon rind
• 3 tsp. melted butter

What you should do:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, grate the sweet potatoes.
3. Mash the banana into the grated sweet potatoes.
4. One by one, mix in all the remaining ingredients except for 1 tbsp. of the brown sugar. Continue until all are completely mixed into the batter.
5. Line or grease a 9 by 13 inch baking pan then evenly spread mixture in.
6. Top evenly with the reserved brown sugar. This will caramelize the top of the pudding for a wonderful color.
7. Bake for about an hour and a half. You can check for its doneness by inserting a clean toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes away clean, the pudding is done.
8. Let cool and serve.

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A wildly popular Haitian recipe, Diri Ak Djondjon is most popularly served at weddings, first communions and birthday parties as a side dish. This northern Haitian recipe, mostly commonly served with a main course, is a low maintenance dish that cooks up quickly, but gives off such wonderful, delicious aromas when cooking it is a definite favorite. The mushrooms, (Psathyrella coprinoceps) give off incredible color and flavor to the dish. To optimize efficiency when preparing Diri Ak Djondjon, one may prepare all the ingredients you will need in advance.

What you will need:
• 2 cups of rice (long grain)
• 4 cups of water
• 1 cup of dried, black mushrooms
• 1 small, finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 2 tbsp. of oil or butter
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• A sprig of thyme

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Not only is Soup Joumou, or squash soup a tasty Caribbean dish, it's a symbol of Haitian liberation. During the reign of the French, Haitians were forbidden the dish as it was considered too elevated for slaves. As a commemoration of Haitian freedom, since 1804, Haitians, who enjoy the soup at their leisure year-round, have Squash Soup on the 1st of January as a rule.

What you will need:
• 1 lb of fresh Caribbean pumpkin or a 12 oz pack of frozen squash (butternut squash is a suitable substitute)
• 8 cups of water
• 1 lb of cubed soup meat (beef, chicken, etc.)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 lb soup bone (optional)
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 1 chayote, cubed (optional)
• 1/4 of a small cabbage, chopped coarsely
• 1 diced turnip
• 2 sliced carrots
• 2 leeks cut into 1/2 inch pieces (whites only, optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
• 1/4 lb spaghetti, broken into pieces
• 1 tbsp. of lime juice or vinegar

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Made up of 100% muscle, conch, a Caribbean specialty dish can be a succulent change from the normal cuisine, if prepared correctly. While sometimes eaten raw, it can also be cooked in a Creole sauce or grilled and eaten in a salad. Many Caribbean countries have their own recipes, but, below is a traditional Haitian method to preparing conch.

What you will need:
• 1 lb of Conch (shell, clean and skin it)
• A medium sized onion
• A pinch of Maggie
• A pinch of baking soda (to help expedite the cooking time)
• 1/2 a tsp. of Old Bay
• 1 tsp. butter
• Juice of a lime
• 2 tsp. of sour orange
• 3/4 of a cup of water
• 1 chopped tomato
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup of oil
• 1/4 cup of scallions
• 3 tbsp. of tomato paste
• 3 tbsp. of vinegar
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. parsley

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One very popular dish found on many Haitian plates is Tassot de Cabrit (Fried Goat Meat Bits). This dish is usually paired with rice, fried plantains and veggies and gets its start with a good selection of goat meat, usually a goat's leg. The leaner and fresher the leg, though pricier, the better your end result. Though, frozen goat meat may also be used and any excess fat may be trimmed off during preparation.

What you will need:
• 2-3 lbs of cubed goat meat
• 1/2 a cup of Orange Juice (Sour)
• 1/4 of a cup of Lime Juice
• 1 tsp. of hot pepper and salt (each)
• 1 tbsp. of chopped parsley and thyme (each)
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 4 cups of water
• Oil for frying

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