Creole Cuisine
The creole cuisine comes from a mix of cultures and flavors from the Taino Indians, the Spanish, the French and the Africans, in addition to some Middle Eastern influences.
Creole is similar to “criollo” in Spanish, a style of cuisine found in The Caribbean.
This multi-cultural, vibrant and flavorful cuisine is famous for its strong flavors, with many different spices and some spicy tones. The cuisine often incorporates staples such as rice, beans, plantains, yams, and peppers, which are combined with a variety of meats, including chicken, fish, pork, and goat.
Exploring Creole cuisine is like taking a culinary journey through the Caribbean, experiencing the vibrant and diverse flavors that have evolved over centuries. Whether you’re enjoying a hearty bowl of gumbo or savoring the fiery spice of jerk chicken, Creole cuisine offers a tantalizing and memorable gastronomic experience that showcases the rich cultural tapestry of the Caribbean.
There are many delicious dishes for you to try when you visit (or perhaps even at a creole restaurant in your city).
These are our favorites:
Rice & Red Beans
Rice and red beans is Haiti’s National dish, made with bell peppers, onions and celery sautéed with pork, beans and rice.
Chicken with Cashew Nuts
A Haitian specialty, chicken cooked in a tomato-based sauce with cashew nuts.
Cornmeal with beans and stewed chicken
Haiti is famous for its stews, usually served on top of cornmeal or rice. Although this is usually served with chicken, vegetables stews are also popular in the island.
Shrimp in Creole Sauce
Shrimp served with a broth-style sauce made of onions and red bells peppers, the iconic sauce of the island.
Fritay
Fritay is basically fried food. The most popular ones are “Patat” (sweet potatoes fries), Bannan Peze (fried green plantain, basically tostones) Tasso, basically dried fried goat or beef and Griot (fried pork). Meats are usually marinated before fried.
Crab and lalo leaf stew
As we mentioned above, Haiti is famous for its stews. Lalo is a spinach-like leaf, and when mixed with crab, it creates a hearty, intense and delicious flavor.
Diti ak Djon Djon
Also known as black Mushroom Rice, these mushrooms are locally grown, cooked along with peas or lima beans and seasonings, and then mixed with rice, leaving an unique dark color. A very popular dish for holidays and a staple food of Haiti.
