Haiti7

Bowl of Haitian labouyi bannann, a creamy green plantain porridge dusted with cinnamon and topped with a cinnamon stick and star anise, served with bread and evaporated milk
Haitian Labouyi Bannann Recipe BreakfastHaiti

Haitian Labouyi Bannann Recipe

Labouyi bannann is a Haitian breakfast porridge made from green, unripe plantains blended smooth with milk and warm spices. Green plantains carry more starch and less sugar than ripe ones, which is why they cook like a staple rather than a fruit. Haitian cooks translate the name simply as plantain porridge. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little vanilla give the bowl its warmth, and cooks finish it with a bit of citrus zest before serving. Ingredients Two home-cook methods make labouyi bannann, and they agree on the base but differ on…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026
Platter of golden Haitian marinad fritters, one broken open to show shrimp and parsley in the batter, with a scotch bonnet pepper, scallions and a frying pan in the background
Haitian Marinad Recipe HaitiSnacks

Haitian Marinad Recipe

Haitian marinad is a savory fritter: a seasoned batter of flour and water, lifted with baking powder, mixed with a homemade epis base, scotch bonnet heat, and shrimp or salted cod, then fried until golden. Vendors sell marinad as a popular Haitian street food, and many cooks also make it at home for cleaner ingredients and better hygiene. Ingredients Marinad comes together from a handful of everyday pantry staples and an aromatic epis base. The protein is yours to choose. Native and alternate names come first, with common alternatives in…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026
Pile of raw malanga root, the grated base ingredient for Haitian akra fritters
Haitian Akra Recipe HaitiSnacks

Haitian Akra Recipe

Haitian akra is a fritter of grated malanga root mixed with garlic, onion, parsley, and scotch bonnet pepper, then deep-fried until golden brown. It belongs to the family of malanga fritters Haitians call accra. Home cooks shape the batter into the dish's traditional long shape before frying. Some versions add cassava and flour; others keep the batter to malanga alone. Ingredients Akra starts with one root vegetable, grated fine, and a handful of seasonings that go straight into the same bowl. Two real variants exist among home cooks, and both…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026
Purple eggplants, cabbage, tomatoes, and greens at a Caribbean produce market, ingredients used in Haitian legim
Haitian Legim Recipe DinnerHaiti

Haitian Legim Recipe

Haitian legim is a vegetable stew that layers meat with chayote, eggplant, green papaya, and cabbage over a homemade epis base, mashed until creamy and finished with butter. It is the dish Haitians mean by légume, a thick mashed vegetable stew served over rice. Haitian cooks call it a beloved Sunday classic, one of the dishes that intimidates first-time cooks the most. Ingredients Legim comes together from a base of meat and a set of hard vegetables the cook steams and mashes. Add an epis and a short list of…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026
Homemade Haitian epis in a mason jar with green bell pepper, onion and garlic, the base for diri ak djon djon
Haitian Diri ak Djon Djon Recipe DinnerHaiti

Haitian Diri ak Djon Djon Recipe

Diri ak djon djon is a Haitian black rice: jasmine rice cooked in the dark liquid of djon djon mushrooms over a homemade epis base with peas and butter. The mushrooms turn the rice deep black and give it its signature flavor. Haitians call it, simply, everybody's favorite rice. Ingredients Diri ak djon djon comes together in stages: a homemade epis base, a mushroom liquid that turns the rice black, and legumes that go in before the rice itself. Native names come first, with common alternatives in parentheses. For the…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026
Haitian griot, fried pork cubes served with fried plantains and pikliz slaw
Haitian Griot Recipe DinnerHaiti

Haitian Griot Recipe

Haitian griot is fried pork: cubed pork shoulder marinated in citrus and seasoning, boiled until tender, then fried until deep brown. Haitians pair it with pikliz, a spicy pickled slaw, and bannann peze, fried pressed plantains. It's a popular street food and a fixture of everyday Haitian cooking. Ingredients Griot comes together in three stages: a citrus wash, a seasoning marinade built on a homemade epis, and a two-part cook, boiled first, then fried. The wash strips the raw taste from the pork, and the marinade carries the flavor. Native…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026
Haitian soup joumou, a golden squash soup with beef, root vegetables, and pasta
Haitian Soup Joumou Recipe DinnerHaiti

Haitian Soup Joumou Recipe

Soup joumou is a Haitian squash soup of pureed pumpkin or butternut, beef, root vegetables and pasta in a rich golden broth seasoned with epis. Haitians eat it every January 1st to mark Independence Day, and it stands as a national symbol of their freedom. Ingredients Soup joumou comes together in layers: a seasoned meat and broth base, a pureed squash body, and a set of hard vegetables and pasta that go in last. The list below gives traditional names first, with common alternatives in parentheses. For the meat and…
Joe Post
August 3, 2026