Haitian Chefs Introduce Americans to Haitian Culture Through Their Food

Every time my late grandfather stopped by my childhood home, he would bring me true joys, like pâté kode (warm pâté stuffed with smoked herring). My late grandmother would spend hours lovingly cooking boules, spicy fried meatballs made with beef and seasoned with epi, a spice blend and marinade. My mother used to cook poulet en sos, which is chicken simmered in sauce. Bunampeze, or crispy fried plantains. Then steam the dilibran to make fluffy white rice (always with love, let the kids eat the biggest chicken leg in the pot and get extra plantains). On New Year’s Day, family friends generously served us homemade soup joumou (slightly sweet and delicious pumpkin soup with beef) and filled Tupperware to celebrate Independence Day. He gave me a ride home. As an adult, when I finally decided to learn how to make the cultural dishes I was raised on, I immediately turned to griots, or braised and fried pork. I spent hours in the kitchen butchering pork shoulder, blending herbs and vegetables to make epices, and creating aromatic sautés. For me, and for other people of Haitian descent, this is what it means to eat like a Haitian.

Haitian-Americans have a strong understanding of bold cuisine, forged by flavor and history. But recently, the Haitian diet has been vilified by none other than former President Donald Trump and 2024 presidential candidate J.D. Vance.

“It was frustrating. [by the comments] Because I immediately understood the implications. [they] It’s going to touch real people’s lives,” says author, chef and owner Nadège Fleurimont. Bunnan He lives in Brooklyn and is the owner of Fleurimond Catering. “They did it. People feared for their lives, people fled, people fled, people were threatened.”

The Republican presidential ticket began spewing racist remarks in September after an unverified Facebook post from a Haitian woman in Springfield, Ohio, which she claimed was her home town. Approximately 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian immigrants — He stole his neighbor’s cat, slaughtered it, and ate it. Despite repeated fact-checking by the moderators, Trump claimed on stage during the presidential debate that “in Springfield, they eat the dogs, they eat the people that come in, they eat the cats.” They eat the pets of the people living there. ” Although this claim was quickly debunked by Springfield city officials, the Trump campaign continued to trumpet racist falsehoods and fuel a rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric across the country. In Springfield, university campuses and hospitals Threats of violence forced closures, while Haitian businesses from as far away as New York suffered a sharp drop in sales.

“When you walk in here, you only see one table. [occupied]” says Wesley Jean Simon, chef-owner of the Brooklyn restaurant. John John There is also a sister restaurant, Market Bar. In the wake of Trump and Vance’s comments, Simon says sales at Jon Jon have dropped by 50%. “Even Haitians don’t want to go out and eat. They’re not excited about going out into the city, going to restaurants, having a good time anymore.”

While President Trump’s racist actions inspire fear in immigrant communities, Haitian families and chefs are turning to real food for comfort and education.

“Haiti has delicious food that is really delicious and very soulful for everyone,” he says. Gregory GourdetJames Beard Award-winning restaurant owner and chef Kan Located in Portland, Oregon. “Like other cultures, we were able to recover many of the ingredients that were brought to us through difficult circumstances.” These difficult circumstances included centuries of forced European slavery. and years of experience spent fighting worthy slaves. won in the end The fight for Haitian independence. The cuisine arose through the migration and cultural exchanges that occurred during colonization and the transatlantic slave trade. For example, espaghetti was introduced into Haitian cuisine during World War I by American soldiers who brought with them dried pasta, hot dogs, and ketchup. American occupation of Haiti. Soup jouumou, also known as “freedom soup,” is a delicacy that enslaved Haitians were forced to prepare for French colonizers, and was later reclaimed as a celebratory dish, celebrated on Haitian Independence Day. is eaten every time.

Chef Stéphane Berruet-Durand, Haitian Culinary Alliance And the annual Taste of Haiti Food Festival in Miami credits the diversity of Haitian cuisine to the refugees from all over the world who have taken refuge on the Caribbean island. “[Haitian food] It’s not just very centrally located from Africa,” says Berruet-Durand. “We’ve been influenced by Spanish, French, British, American, and other immigrants who came to Haiti and brought their own culture with them, from Italians to Portuguese, Syrians to Lebanese.” Some rice, okra, and beans were brought to the island by enslaved West Africans. Fresco, a popular sorbet-like dessert in Haiti, is directly inspired by Haiti’s Italian immigrants. Doumakos, Haiti’s national dessert, is a fluffy candy invented by a Belgian Haitian entrepreneur inspired by the Spanish turrón.

Despite this culinary diversity, Haitian food culture remains severely underrepresented in the United States. When it comes to food from the African diaspora in the Caribbean and Latin America, empanadas, jerk chicken, and Jamaican patties dominate the conversation. Haitian dishes such as dili jon jon (black mushroom rice), lambi (snails), and acasan (a shake made with cornmeal and warming spices such as anise and nutmeg) are left out of these conversations. Haitian immigrants account for one of them, largest foreign-born population Although it maintains a strong presence in the United States in cities such as Boston, New York, and Miami, Haitian cuisine has not reached the same level of mainstream popularity and acceptance as other foreign cuisines on the American mainland. Haitian chefs like Gourdet are working to change that around the country, introducing Haitian food and culture to local communities and people who have never tried Haitian food.

“There’s a lot of education out there,” Gulde said. “Many people have never had Haitian food before, so we’re doing our part to highlight [Haitian] Introducing ingredients and sharing their stories. ”

Courtesy of Eva Cosmas Flores

Recognizing that their cuisine is many Americans’ first introduction to Haitian culture, Haitian chefs consider their role not only as “chefs” but also as educators. I’m capturing it. “I think food is universal and food brings people together,” says Berruet-Durand. “If you really want to teach someone something about your culture, food is the driving force.”

There are many ways to do this education. At Kann, the servers briefly explain every dish and its importance to the Haitian people. There, the guests learn that griot is Haiti’s national dish and that epices originated with enslaved Haitians.

Chef Natalie Lekopes, daughter of Haitian immigrants and owner of Boston gourmet crayon — the Boston metropolitan area’s first Haitian-style food truck — requires all customers to order food in Haitian Creole. While Massachusetts is its home state, 3rd largest Haitian population In this country, Lekope has noticed that the majority of her customers are not Haitian. She uses her business as a way to educate the Boston community about other elements of Haitian culture. “For me, it’s not just about eating the food, it’s about experiencing the culture,” she says. “My menu is in Creole, so I say what I want to eat in Creole, and then below that I explain in English what each meal is so the kids can understand. It’s a learning experience for my customers.”

For many, this education is aimed at reinforcing the inherent value and dignity of Haitian cuisine and addressing long-standing racism stemming from the American public. Lekopes recounts the story of her parents, who dealt with anti-Haitian discrimination when they first moved to Miami in the 1970s. “Their experience coming to this country was not a very welcoming one,” Lekopes said. “When my dad was in high school, we actually had a ‘beat the Haitian day.’” I personally learned from my own father, who was raised by Haitian immigrants on Long Island, New York. I remember hearing a similar story. My father and his best friend lied about their heritage to avoid being attacked for being Haitian when their classmates overheard them speaking Creole. During the HIV epidemic, Haitians faced daily criticism. commonly held beliefs That means Haitians are transmitting the virus to Americans.

“All these things they’re saying about us, like we eat cats or we eat dogs, it’s not new to us,” says Simon. “In the ’90s, it was, ‘Oh, let’s give AIDS to all Americans.’ And we’re still standing. We don’t have time to listen to your rhetoric.”

Haitian restaurateurs believe this rhetoric is ridiculous because it shows a lack of education about Haiti’s contributions to the United States throughout the country’s history. January 1, 1804, 13 years of revolution Enslaved Haitians fought against French slaves and overthrew French rule, and Haiti became a nation in the Western Hemisphere. first black sovereign stateand the first slave nation in the world to gain freedom. The Haitian Revolution had ripple effects and inspired people throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Americas. numerous slave revolts and revolts In the United States, “I think sometimes we think of Haiti like this. Only in HaitiBut when others ask why Haitians like to mention the Haitian Revolution, it’s because: one “The revolution affected many other places and many other aspects of history,” says Fleurimont.

Professor at Yale University (French and African Diaspora Studies) Dr. Marlene Daudt He has written extensively about the Haitian Revolution and corroborates Fleurimont’s research. “If it wasn’t for the Haitian Revolution and Haiti, the whole geography of our country would be completely different.”

As elections approach and anti-Haitian rhetoric continues to be a talking point for political candidates, Haitian restaurateurs are showing the world what Haitian history and culture is really like, plate by plate. I remain determined to do so. “I get to share my cooking with the world. For someone to come up and say, ‘Oh, I’ve been to Haiti.’ I remember this, it touches your soul, ”says Berruet Durand. “It goes straight to your soul, because not only did you share a piece of Haiti with someone, but you also have people who have been to Haiti and remember the experience as a very positive thing. Because I know you are there.”