Haitian Food - Haiti Observer Blog

If you have been to Haiti but never eat in the street, you have not discovered Haiti yet. What I mean is that you go over to a Street food vandor, also called Chin Janbe, and you get yourself a a nice plate of food. Being able to be in Haiti and have the freedom to explore Haiti's street food scene is priceless. Discover favorite local dishes like Pwason (fish), Dire Kole ak Pwa (rice and red beans), and Sos Kreyol (creole sauce). How about a nice Griot with Pikliz. I don't know what it is; however, these food cooked in the street usually taste a lot better than what I eat at home.

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Griot is a Haitian staple, and there is also a certain level of mystery to its preparation as the unsuspecting wonder about the pleasant, undefinable aftertaste from the fried pork dish.

Serving the Haitian Griot on Thanksgiving would definitely leave a memorable taste to some of your guests, specially if they have not tasted the Haitian Griot before.

Now how do you make a good Haitian griot to serve on Thanksgiving

The trick, it seems, is in the sour orange and the salt used to treat the pork during preparation. Oranges are halved and then squeezed, the juice saved, and then the halves are rubbed on the salted meat. After this soaks in, the meat is washed and then boiled in an assortment of spices before being fried.

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We hear about processed foods being bad for you, but what are the reasons for avoiding them? Nine ways processed foods are engineered, and how they affect your brain and body chemistry are discussed below.

1. Public enemy #1, sugar. Processed foods contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Both lack essential nutrients, creating insulin resistance, in which sugar is converted into fat and deposited around the abdomen.

2. Food manufacturers target your appetite centers. Your appetite is drawn to sweets, salts, and fats, the basis for energy and nutrients to live on. Food scientists concoct flavors that over-stimulate your appetite centers, causing you to overeat.

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With a thick air of mystery surrounding all aspects of the production of their finger-licking good fried chicken legs, Pack Super Market has found a sure winner they can sell on the 'cheep'.

16 years ago, Kernizan Philias' family opened the market which supplies food items in bulk in an establishment that resembles no fine eatery you've ever seen. Still, despite the less-than Michelin ready environ, the over-the-counter treat they provide for only $7 gets as much attention as would warrant a formal write-up.

Basing it on the popular Haitian fried pork shoulder recipe, griot, the family tried the recipe themselves before offering it up to customers. After deciding it was a 'flavorable' take on an old classic, the decision was made to use only chicken drumsticks as a way to keep costs down. As they explained, even wings would have been too expensive for the production, which would have pushed the cost up for the consumer. Today, for that measly $7 price-tag, patrons are able to receive a Styrofoam container of three to four drumsticks, fried plantains and a cascading pile of steaming rice and peas.

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It has been a favorable year for the harvesting of certain crops in Haiti and, as such, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has made the commitment to buy at least 1,750 metric tons of rice grown locally by Haitian farmers. The rice will be put to use within the WFP school feeding program, and will benefit local producers.

Constituting a considerable increase from the amount of locally farmed rice bought by the WFP in 2012, this year's bid is over 500 tons more. From last year's count, other food stuff bought for the school program included 133 tons of ground corn and another 1,169 tons of rice donated to the cause.

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We all probably experienced this one time or another; however one Haitian nurse working in Long Island hospital is doing something about it. Diana St. Gerard who is a light skin Haitian nurse has been discriminated by other staff members for her background. They assume that because she is Haitian, therefore, she must be practicing "Black magic" and Voodoo.

According to Diana St. Gerard, the white staff at Long Island hospital made her life a living hell there. During the nine years that she worked in the mental health unit she was faced with many incidents of discrimination. Nurses have told St. Gerard that she looked like a voodoo doll; another staff member actually brought a voodoo doll at the Hospital once.

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Here is a video I found and wanted to share with you. In brief this video is being promoted by Harry Nicolas, AKA: Met Fey Vet. The video shows the various food items produced locally in Haiti that we can consume without the necessity to import from the Dominican republic or the US.

Mo Chè, pou-m di ou vrèman, Lè k map gade mage sa yo, Bouch mwen kole dlow"

Now do you remember Harry Nicolas. He is the Haitian nationalist who successfully organized the "Kita Nago". He helped organized the walk of unity. He is the same person who has been promoting this concept. "Ayiti Manje Lokal"

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Marinate the turkey in a large vessel and pound garlic with a pinch of salt, 5 sprigs thyme, 5 sprigs parsley and oregano in a pounder or food processor. Transfer them to a bowl to add 1 tablespoon vinegar, lemon juice and 2 teaspoons water. Keep them aside.

Ingredients
Peeled cloves garlic 8 numbers
Salt to taste
Sprigs flat- parsley leaf- 8
Sprigs thyme- 8
Sprigs oregano- 2
Fresh lemon juice-1 cup
Apple cider vinegar- 2 tablespoons
Brined or Kosher turkey, trimmed of skin and excess fat, neck and giblets reserved, well rinsed, -- 20 pounds
Limes halved- 6 number
Adobo-- 2 tablespoons
Black pepper freshly ground
Finely chopped ham --1/3 cup
Scotch bonnet peppers, diced-- 2
Sweet small peppers known as cachuchas or Ajicitos Dulces-- 8
OR
Cubanelle pepper, seeded and cut into 1/3-inch dice-- 1 large
Finely chopped Red onion --1/2 cup
Manzanilla olives with pimento, finely chopped-- 1/4 cup
Finely chopped Capers-- 20
Dry Red wine-- 1 bottle
Ground Achiote-- 1 teaspoon
Tomato paste-- 6 ounces
Extra Virgin Olive Oil-- 2 tablespoons
Chicken stock or broth-- 2 cups
Peeled and thinly sliced Red Onion-- 1/2
Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced-- 1/2

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A truly versatile meal that can be enjoyed at any time of the day, Plantain Purre or Labouyi Bannann is a favorite in Haiti. Its wholesome, filling portions make for a nutritious, appetizing treat.

What you will need:
• 1 plantain (green)
• 1 banana (ripe)
• 12 oz can of evaporated milk (soy milk can be substituted)
• 12 to 14 oz can of coconut milk, or 1 cup of regular milk
• 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 2 anise stars (whole)
• A pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1/2 a cup of sugar (can be either white or brown)
• 1/2 tsp. lime rind (grated) or 1/2 an inch lime rind (whole)

What you should do:
1. Peel the plantain and then cut it into slices of about 1/2 an inch in thickness.
2. Puree plantain slices in a blender with 2 cups of water and the ripe banana.
3. Bring plantain and banana puree to boil over low to medium heat and bring to a boil.
4. Add additional ingredients, evaporated or soy milk, coconut milk or regular milk, vanilla extract, anise stars, sugar, lime rind and nutmeg.
5. Bring to boil and stir occasionally.
6. Cook for 15-20 minutes until it becomes the consistency of oatmeal. Serve while still hot.

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The Haitian President Michel Martelly is working on his next career. In this picture, he is having the ingredients for making Tomtom mashed in a "pilon."

The regional dish Tomtom is unique to Jérémie and the Grand'Anse Department of Haiti. It is made of steamed breadfruit (lam veritab) mashed. One very important aspect of this dish is that you can't chew it. Tomtom is made into round balls and swallowed with a sauce made of okra (kalalou, Gombo) cooked with meat, fish, crab, and spices.

What you will need to make Tomtom ak Kalalou Gombo :
• 1 breadfruit
• 2 tbsp. pikliz
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 small onion (sliced)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb okra (frozen or fresh)
• 1/4 lb of in-season seafood (pre-soaked salted fish or cooked fish or crab)
• 1 cup of djon-djon mushrooms
• 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste
• Lemon zest
• 1 tsp garlic powder

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