Haitian Fritaille (Fritay)

An overview of Haitian Fritaille (Fritay)

Haitian food is a fusion of French and African cuisine. One of Haiti’s most popular fare is fritaille (fritay), an assortment of delectable fried food. Haitian fritaille usually consists of the following: Griot (pronounced gree-oh), salty and sometimes spicy nuggets of fried pork that are marinated in epis, a classic Haitian seasoning mix. Tassot, chewy bits of fried goat or beef that are often boiled and fried. Banan peze (banane pesée), plantains cut into chunks that are pressed and double-fried. Saucisse, succulent sausage links. Accra, crunchy malanga fritters and marinade, crispy chicken or codfish fritters with a spongy middle.

Pikliz

You simply can’t have fritaille without pikliz (pronounced pick-lees), one of my favorite, fiery side dishes. Pikliz is essentially a pickled solution of julienned cabbage, carrots, onions and scotch bonnet peppers.

Vendors and street markets

My grandmother used to make a living selling fritaille in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She would often tell us stories about setting up shop in the wee-morning hours at her local open market. She’d depict rows of vendors standing over their saucer-size wrought iron pans, swirling a medley of fritaille in a sea of scalding oil at every street corner. My cousins and I were so transfixed by her accounts. We would hang on to every word as she spoke with such flair and immense pride.

I’d always imagine myself right there with her, snacking on rations of griot and marinade. Her storytelling style was so beguiling that I would even smell the intensely aromatic fumes of fritaille wafting up into the air. I’d also envision men and women zipping by with schoolchildren on mini motorcycles, and scattered chickens pecking scraps of food from the pebbled roads. Such glorious chaos.

My grandmother had also gotten into some verbal and even physical scuffles with rival vendors at the street market. That, however, is a story for another day. Let’s just say, she takes no prisoners. Ha!

Have you ever tried Fritaille? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Haitian cuisine.

Plus: Pineapple Ginger Mojito (mocktail).