Haitian Cuisine Featured On TasteAtlas’ Top 100 List

Put some respect on Haiti’s name.

Haitian cuisine shines on TasteAtlas’ 2024 Top 100 Best Cuisines list. The Caribbean island secured the 67th spot on the digital dining guide’s annual list. The platform highlighted 23 must-try Haitian dishes.

Also known as black rice, diri dak djondjon consists of rice, peas, spices, and black mushrooms, which gives the dish its dark color. Other Haitian delicacies mentioned included pikliz, a spicy pickled relish; tasso, marinated goat or beef; accra, a fritter usually made with black-eyed peas, onions, and spices; and griot, which is made from pork shoulder pieces marinated and then fried until crispy.

The platform also recommends Barbancourt rum, the 110-proof spirit produced in one of the island’s oldest distilleries.

“Barbancourt Haitian proof is an outstanding floral rum with green notes of fresh sugar cane juice, hints of tart citrus fruits, and a light peppery tone,” TasteAtlas wrote.

The platform also suggested three restaurants: Lakou Lakay Restaurant and Guesthouse, located in the northern part of the island in Milot; Les Jardins du Mupanah in Port-au-Prince; and La Coquille, located in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Pétionville. La Coquille offers an all-you-can-eat buffet and indoor and outdoor seating.

Other Caribbean cuisines in the top 100 included Puerto Rican, Jamaican, Cuban, and Trinidadian. Greek, Italian, and Mexican secured the top three spots on the list.

In September, Haitians drew media attention when Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, JD Vance, made disparaging comments about Haitians, sparking public outrage. Haitian-American Chef Medegine Guillaume hopes to debunk these false narratives through her work as a culinary professional. “That’s exactly why I became a chef; I don’t want that narrative out there,” she said. “That’s not what we’re about. Our food is delicious. Our cuisine is great if you’ve had it, if you had the pleasure of having it,” the 2023 James Beard Cohort told BLACK ENTERPRISE.