While white rice is usually served with a bean sauce topping (see above), diri djon djon is usually served on its own because of the distinct aroma and rich flavor of the djon djon mushroom. (Sorry, that location is sworn to secrecy.) Pwason Boukannen (grilled fish) You can find it in some restaurants, but we experienced this dish stewed with chunks of pork and a healthy dose of crab legs ( kalalou djon djon ak sirik ak vyann kochon) served atop white rice at a friend's house. This is a sort of Louisiana-style gumbo made with okra and mushrooms, sometimes served with a kick of chili peppers. Kalalou Djondjon (Haitian okra and black mushroom stew) The woman between the food market and Vodou and crafts market cooks a big tin of it on weekdays. Where to get it: Get thee to the Marché en Fer in Port-au-Prince in the late morning to lunchtime. Traditionally, this is a specialty of Artibonite, the Haitian rice producing region. Diri ak Fèy Lalo ak Sirik (crab and lalo leaf stew)Ī stew of crab and dark-green spinach-like lalo leaves. Go early as once they sell out for the day, they close the stand. Where to get it: A delicious example of this dish can be found in Jacmel, past the airfield, right side on the road if you’re heading in the direction of Marigot. The cornmeal consistency is somewhere between polenta and cream-of-wheat (or cream-of-cornmeal, as it were). The legim (think legume) is the vegetable stew part. Tassot/Taso (dried fried meat)įriendly street food vendor selling vegetable stew with cornmeal in Jacmel. Another place for delicious grilled seafood (including langoustine) is Vue Sur Mer near Jacmel. Where to get it: Chez Matante restaurant on Gelée Beach near Les Cayes may take the “heaping portion” award where a $15 mountainous serving of delicious lobster and avocado slices is enough to satiate two people. These are readily available in most coastal areas, but especially along the southern coast in and around Jacmel, Jacmel Cayes and Port Salut. Lanbi Boukannen, Woma Boukannen (grilled conch, grilled lobster)Īs seafood lovers, we did a happy dance in Haiti for the availability and freshness of grilled lobster and conch. Where to get it: Presse Café serves up a good version of conch in creole sauce, as does Quartier Latin. Conch is a must-try if seafood is your thing. You can usually find it grilled (see below) or in a tangy tomato-based creole sauce. Of all the fruits of the sea you can find in Haiti, conch seems to be among the most distinct to appear on restaurant menus. Lanbi an Sòs Lanbi Kreyol (conch in creole sauce) For a more low-key meal, order a big plate of griyo at Cinq Coins Restaurant (they sell it by the pound) in Port-au-Prince and side it with a cold beer or two. Where to get it: If you're going out for a nice dinner, try the griyo at Quartier Latin in Pétionville. It is most often served with cabbage salad or better yet, spicy pikliz (onions and other vegetables marinated in a spicy vinegar sauce). Griyo, the perfect Haitian dish for meat lovers.įor meat-eaters, griyo is an absolute must-try traditional dish of Haiti. We hope that it may lead you to your own Haitian food adventures, whether in Haiti or at a Haitian restaurant near you. What you'll find below is an overview of all that we ate and discovered culinarily while in Haiti. As we seek out certain types of dishes, we find ourselves in new experiences of all sorts.ĭuring our travels in Haiti we sampled food that ranged from street food to family meals to high end restaurants, and a bit of everything in-between. Throw in Haitian hot chocolate, grilled lobster, plenty of beans, creamy cornmeal, avocados and a dash of hot pepper and you have an eclectic mix that took some sampling and digging to suss out not only the depth of Haitian food, but more importantly the underlying essence and nature of Haitian cuisine.įor us, food offers one of the most enjoyable contexts through which to understand a place, especially an unusual and lesser known destination like Haiti. Take pikliz (spicy pickled vegetables), breadfruit, bergamot, watercress and even rum-infused power shakes. Black mushrooms, spices, bergamot, and more at the Marché en Fer in Port-au-Prince.
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