What are the most popular foods from Haiti?
Haitian food draws influence from West Africa, France, West Indies and the Caribbean to name a few.
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The ingredients used to create this cuisine are typical, yet the preparation is the key to making Haiti food so unique.
If you’re wondering what to eat in Haiti, don’t miss these 10 popular Haitian foods.
Poulet aux noix is a tasty dish with a delightful chicken and cashew flavour. The chicken is marinated, steamed, then pan-fried with diced tomatoes, onions, and tomato paste.
Cashew nuts are boiled to softness and added to the sauce created from the onions, tomatoes and chicken.
Typically, it’s served over a bed of white rice. This meal has to be at the top of your list of what to eat in Haiti.
Tassot is a traditional Haitian dish made with beef or goat meat as the main protein. The meat is cubed and then usually marinated in a mixture of orange juice, lemon juice and onions.
The meat is fried until it forms a crispy exterior. The dish is typically served with rice, fried plantains and beans. The best part is the spicy sauce served on the side.
Legim is one of the most popular Haitian dishes and is sometimes referred to as simply Haitian food legume. It also has many variations regarding the ingredients used to prepare the dish.
Legim (which translates to legumes or vegetables) usually contains a mixture of vegetables, including green beans, cabbage, eggplant, watercress, squash and carrots.
These are all cooked with the meat (regularly beef) and then mashed together.
Across Haiti, the stew is traditionally prepared on Saturdays. It is often accompanied by rice or cornmeal. Remember this dish when you’re searching for what to eat in Haiti.
This complex, yet simple dish takes hours of prepping and cooking, but it is certainly worth the wait! This dish also has one of those quirky Haitian food names. You’ll notice a few more as you go through our list of foods from Haiti that you need to try.
The stew’s flavour is a perfect infusion of crab, djondjon (black mushroom), fresh okra and chunks of pork.
Now Haitians love to add a chilli kick to their dishes. This dish and other Haiti food you’ll taste are likely to be a little spicy. If you are lucky enough to be invited into a Haitian home or have friends that are willing to cook this dish for you, take up the offer!
What is Haiti’s famous food? I asked this question to the Haitians working at the hotel I stayed in Cap Haitien, and they told me it was grilled fish!
RELATED POST – Best Things to do in Cap Haitien, Haiti
Fresh fish is served in many restaurants and cafes across Haiti. It is commonly served alongside chips and salad or rice and fried plantain. If you enjoy eating spicy food like me, ask for a little extra pikliz to go on top. Another popular way to cook fresh fish in Haiti is to fry it, whole!
The preparation is to first clean the fish, then pat them dry to reduce any moisture. Score the flesh of the fish on both sides and then cover it in a dusting of seasoned flour. Spices such as garlic and onion powders, dried thyme and parsley, chilli powder, black pepper and salt are commonly used.
Next, shake off any excess flour and plunge the fish into a deep pan with heated vegetable oil. Depending on the size of the fish, once it has a golden outer crust and the flesh has turned opaque, it’s ready.
Again, a fresh and spicy condiment would be drizzled over the fish and enjoyed. Delicious!
Wondering what to eat in Haiti on a rainy day? Look no further, because boullion soup is a comforting and filling dish that really hits the spot.
This dish is a hearty stew that can be made with a variety of meats (typically beef or chicken) and vegetables.
It is sometimes served with small dumplings which are made by rolling the flour into a small amount of broth. You will commonly find sweet plantains and chunky pieces of potato in this soup too.
Many countries across Africa have their own spin on this dish. In Haiti, Riz National is one of the most popular and the most permanent. Some would argue that this is THE Haiti national dish that you cannot leave without trying it at least once.
The base of the dish is made using rice and red kidney beans. It’s topped with ingredients that can be modified for flavour, colour, and texture.
In the home, the toppings would be whatever is on hand at the time.
Lambi, or conch in English, are seashell molluscs. They are otherwise known as sea snails. Across Haiti and particularly close to the coast, conch is best eaten grilled on the BBQ or soaked in butter and barbecued on high heat. You can also find sliced conch in Haitian salads and stews.
Click here for my favourite Lambi Stew recipe.
A Haitian condiment consists of pickled carrots, cabbage, bell peppers and Scotch bonnet peppers. I warned you that Haitians like to add a spicy kick to their food.
Pikliz is generally seasoned with garlic and onion and pickled in white vinegar. This spicy condiment is served alongside many Haitian dishes to add flavour and spice to the dish.
This Pikliz recipe by Epicurious is a winner.
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It’s the ultimate go-to snack when you don’t know what to eat in Haiti. The Haitian patty is a staple dish in this Caribbean nation. Simple foods from Haiti that local people adore.
The Haitian patty is a heavy pastry filled with spiced meats. Expect fillings such as chicken, beef, fish or turkey. The outer layers are flaky and crisp while the inside is softer.
This is the easiest street food snack available in Haiti and available everywhere. Want to try and cook them at home?
This Haitian patty recipe is a good one.
If you want to learn more about Haitian cuisine from home, these popular Haitian food recipes are fantastic.
Haitiancooking.com is another reliable website to find easy Haiti food recipes.
We hope you enjoyed our list of popular foods from Haiti. What Haitian dish would you add to this list?
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Don’t miss our recap of our travels across West Africa for even more helpful tips, and try these popular West African dishes; they’re fantastic!
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2 Comments. Leave new
As an immigrant, it is always a moment of pride to read a such fine piece of media about your home country. Recognize, but not humiliate the good and beauty in everyone and everywhere.Thank you Ms.Rach for your excellent piece of journalistic culinary.Yes indeed, I remember all too well the comfort of these foods.
Very Grateful for your reporting.
Respectfully
Great post! As a fellow foodie, I totally agree with your top 10 list. I had the pleasure of visiting Haiti last year and tried some amazing dishes. The fried plantains with spicy pepper sauce were to die for! 😍 Definitely adding more of these dishes to my culinary bucket list. Thanks for sharing!