Haitian Beatz

“This is spicy”, that’s what one of the attendees shouted after tasting one of their creations after a cooking party. All the Haitians in the class looked at him as if he was mad, because none of us

understood the fuss. Honestly we couldn’t taste any pepper, but he did. I’m not a fan of hot pepper, yet I could not taste much if any of the scotch bonnet that we had left to simmer in the fish sauce. This experience left me realizing more than ever that people’s taste buds really do vary, and that variation is quite obvious when one is looking at heat (pepper wise) threshold.

I love the flavor of scotch bonnet peppers. They are those colorful green, yellow, and red, round shaped peppers that most Haitians use in their cuisine. The smell alone of those peppers add great flavor to any dish. However, I am not a fan of too spicy. As a Haitian, many people look at me weird when I say this, but I find that piman, when overly done, takes away from the flavor of a dish. How am I supposed to enjoy all those wonderful spices and flavors if my mouth is burning. But as my friend Veronique seems to believe, the hotter the better.

If one is cooking for a household where they know the palate of its members, I say go for it anyway they like. But Haitian restaurants should not be cooking all of their rice dishes and meat dishes too hot. Unless it is a traditionally spicy dish, I should not have to hold a glass of water near by in order to down my meal.  Overly hot is not traditionally Haitian as some seem to think: Perhaps regionally Haitian, but not all of Haiti. Thus, the only dishes in my opinion that are allowed to be made spicy, even for a crowd, are chiktay and pikliz. Everything else may have a hint of piman, but the burning taste should be a no-no. 

Piman is a great way to add depth to a dish. It can be left whole to boil in liquids and just the hint of it will add great flavor to cooked rice or sauces. If one wants a bit of heat, especially for stews, soups and fishes, then its best to cut up the pepper and drop a piece in the liquid. Heat varies from pepper to pepper, so start small, and add more until level of heat desired is attained. Remember you can always add, but you can’t take away. So, go ahead, add some heat, but be mindful of other people’s palate.

Nadege Fleurimond is the owner & business manager of Fleurimond Catering, Inc., www.fgcatering.com, an off-premise catering firm serving the NY/NJ/CT/MA areas. She is also the author of a Taste of Life: A Culinary Memoir, a humorous and heart warming compilation of recipes and funny anecdotes. (http://www.nadegefleurimond.com)
For questions and comments you may write her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please submit thoughts.