The national dish most associated with Haiti is griot — marinated and fried pork traditionally served with pikliz, a spicy pickled vegetable relish made with cabbage, carrots, peppers, and vinegar.
Other iconic Haitian dishes include:
- Diri kole ak pwa — rice and beans, a daily staple
- Soup joumou — pumpkin soup symbolizing independence and freedom
- Tassot — fried dried meat, often goat or beef
- Banan peze — crispy fried plantains
- Mayi moulin — cornmeal dish similar to polenta
Haitian cuisine blends African, French, Indigenous Taíno, and Caribbean influences. Meals are often bold, colorful, and heavily seasoned with thyme, Scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, cloves, and citrus. Food also carries deep historical meaning — especially soup joumou, which be