How to Cook Haitian Food

Haiti is a poor country located in the Caribbean Sea and is populated by people from varying cultural backgrounds. Haitian cuisine is influenced by African, Spanish, French and native cooking traditions. Because many of the people rely on basic food staples instead of luxury imported ingredients, Haitian food is made with locally grown food that can feed and sustain many family members. Get familiar with Haitian food and you'll soon learn to appreciate the special blend of flavors that have evolved from this culturally rich nation.

Instructions

1. Learn the different ingredients that combine to create traditional Haitian food. Meal staples are beans and rice, chicken, goat, pork and fish. Vegetables are prominent in Haitian cooking as well, with many dishes containing tomato, oregano, avocados, peppers, black mushrooms and onions. Local fruits are mangoes, bananas, pineapple and guava. Fried plantains and sweet potatoes are other Haitian favorites, as are sweetbreads. Seasonings primarily come from peppers, lemon juice, garlic and black pepper. The basis for many Haitian dishes consists of a vegetable combination of onion, green pepper and garlic--it can be used to start or finish just about any Haitian dish.

2. Prepare a meal the Haitian way. Meal preparation for Haitian food requires plenty of advanced notice. Because many Haitians don't have electricity, dishes are usually cooked in brick ovens or over a fire--therefore, many of the meals are put together in crocks and left to bake for many hours. While you don't need to dig a fire pit, plan for many Haitian recipes to take the same amount of slow baking (often as long as 3 hours) to achieve the perfect blend of flavors.

3. Forget the special equipment. There's not much fancy about Haitian cooking, and therefore not many fancy supplies are needed. Lidded cooking crocks, pots, stirring spoons and methods to chop up vegetables and meats are really all that's needed to make authentic Haitian cuisine. In Haiti, food has evolved to be flavorful, bold and hearty--so there is less emphasis on fancy techniques, elaborate presentations and top-grade kitchen equipment.

4. Keep dessert in mind. In Haiti, sugar cane is plentiful, so sweet dishes are not unusual in Haitian cooking. Some of the country's top desserts are fruit syrup and ice, cinnamon sweetbread and sweetened corn drink. Fresh fruit sprinkled with sugar tastes refreshing, and fresh pineapple can be crushed and sweetened and turned into a refreshing drink.

5. Locate some Haitian recipes, both online and in a Haitian cookbook. Once you are familiar with what Haitian cooking is all about, look for recipes that will suit your kitchen and taste. Some of the most well-known Haitian dishes are rice and beans, fried plantains with beef, chicken rice, bean sauce over rice, fish with tomato and onions, sweet potato bread and breaded meat patties (see Resources).

Tips & Warnings

• Haitian cuisine is generally considered to consist of basic ingredients with spicy and flavorful sauces and sweetened sides and desserts. In Haiti, food plays a large role in celebrating religious holidays and special events, such as weddings and funerals.

Resources

• Whats4eats.com--Haitian recipes
• Authentic Haitian recipes