Haiti was first discovered
by Christopher Columbus on December 5th, 1492. Spain had
successfully colonized the island and devastated the indigenous Taino
people. However, Spain's interests were primarily vested in the
emerging gold market in the Americas which led the island's economy
to grow slowly. French, English and Dutch settlers eventually
inhabited the island, forming a pirate colony, Tortuga, that
flourished by hunting Spanish ships and making good use of the
island's ecological wealth. By 1664, the French West India Company
took control over Tortuga, and France formally claimed control of the
Western portion of the island "Hispaniola" under the Treaty
of Ryswick.
In 1967, Haiti became the
French colony of Saint-Dominique. The French imported slaves from
Africa and grew cash crops such as indigo, tobacco, cotton and cacao.
Its capital, Cap Francais, became known as the "Paris of the New
World." Over the next century, the French colonists used
whatever means were necessary to quell the burgeoning slave
rebellions. The French Revolution played a major part in the colony's
independence, as resources were primarily focused within France. By
1804, under the leadership of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the rebels
formally seized control of the island and restored its original
name, 'Haiti' or, "Land of Mountains." Haiti successfully
became the first free slave colony in the world.
Although the revolution
formally ended slavery and the race hierarchy, the social and
economic divisions deriving from the colonial regime strongly
influenced post-colonial society. Former slaves simply refused to
return to the plantations, opting instead for a subsistence based
mode of production. As a result, the Haitian economy is sharply
divided between peasant farmers concentrated in its interior and a
wealthy "mulatto" elite who reside closer to the coast. The
subsistence economy has resulted in unprecedented levels of
deforestation; it is virtually impossible to find significant amounts
of trees outside of two national parks. On Tuesday January 12th,
2010, things got a lot worse for Haitians. The epicenter of a massive
7.0 Mw earthquake struck 16 miles of Port-au-Prince. The Haitian
government estimated 316,000 deaths, 300,000 injuries and 1,000,000
made homeless. The recovery effort is ongoing, and I urge anyone
interested to donate to UNICEF or the Red Cross. It's a tendency for
Westerners to be concerned only with what's on the news, and as Haiti
disappeared from headlines so did much of its support. If you've got
a few bucks, you might as well contribute.
Haiti is a nation defined
by domestic struggle, and has become the poorest nation in the
Western hemisphere. Although Haitians have faced unprecedented strife
at the hands of the developed world, the complex interplay of
colonization and migration have led it to create incredibly unique
culinary traditions. Haitian cuisine has been influenced by Spanish,
French, African and even American dishes. Prior to Columbus' arrival,
the indigenous Arawak and Taino cultivated fruits and vegetables such
as guavas, pineapple, papayas, sweet potatoes and corn. Europeans
introduced limes, mangoes, rice and sugarcane among other things.
Africans brought okra, pigeon pees, ackee (red/yellow fruit) and a
variety of spices. Most importantly, Africans introduced red beans
and rice, which eventually became a staple of Louisiana's creole
cuisine.
Haitian cuisine combines
Creole and French styles of cooking, and the strong presence of
pepper sets their flavor apart from other Caribbean cuisines. At this
point, it's important to illustrate the dichotomy of Haitian cuisine.
An overwhelming majority of Haitians have little to no access to food
on a consistent basis; therefore they rely mostly on rice, corn,
yams, and beans. Those fortunate enough to have more access to food
flavor their dishes with a combination of peppers, garlics and herbs.
Typical Haitian foods are characterized by the use of starch stables
(i.e. corn, yams, millet, beans) however the more privileged Haitians
make good use of lobster, shrimp, duck and French influenced desserts
(mousse and pastries). In a nation marred by internal domestic strife
and unprecedented levels of poverty, Haitians truly understand the
value of quality cuisine. 
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