| Because Haiti has very little fertile farmland
and a large population, the country must import much of its food from other
countries. As a result, food is often expensive. Since the average annual
income of many rural Haitians is less than $100, rural people rarely eat
meat, fish or eggs.
The main elements of the Haitian diet are
corn, cassava, millet, rice and fruit. Tropical fruits such as pineapples,
mangoes, oranges and grapefruit are plentiful. Haitian cooking, whether
French or Creole, ranks with the best in the Caribbean. The Haitians are
best known for their Creole dishes, which mix French, African and traditional
Haitian elements. |
|
| A popular Haitian dish is called grillot.
This is made of fried marinated pork, served with a very spicy sauce called
sauce ti malice. Sauce ti malice is made from lemons, sour oranges,
hot peppers, salt and spices. Another popular Haitian dish is called lambi.
Lambi is conch meat served grilled or boiled.
A typical Haitian drink served during the holidays
is called crémasse. It is made of condensed milk, coconut
milk and white rum. The liqueurs of Haiti are also well known, and include
crème de cacao à la vanille, crème de moka
and cordial Jérémien. |
| Did
you know?
As a result of the swine fever epidemic
in the late 1970s, all the pigs on the island had to be slaughtered. Chicken
replaced pork as the most widely consumed meat in Haiti. |
|
| Grillot
Ingredients
4.5 kg boneless
pork, cubed
75 ml lime juice
250 ml orange juice
75 ml water
250 ml chopped onions
75 ml finely chopped
green onions
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 hot pepper, chopped
125 ml vegetable oil
Preparation
Combine all the ingredients, except
the oil, and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours. Remove the
pork and cook in a skillet over medium heat, turning frequently. |
|
| Did
you know?
Haitian rum is a product of the sugar
industry. It has been called "the balm of the masses" and is considered
to be of very high quality. |
|