Post by Dominicanese on Sept 1, 2018 16:54:10 GMT
Haiti
Culture:
The culture of Haiti is an eclectic mix of African and European elements due to the French colonization of Saint Domingue and its large and diverse enslaved African population, as is evidenced in the Haitian language, music, and religion.
Cuisine:
The Central American country of Haiti is part of the western Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It occupies about one third of the island and the eastern two-thirds are occupied by the Dominican Republic. Haiti has the North Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea when Columbus discovered it in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. Haiti became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The strong French and African influences in the Haitian cuisine offer an interesting mix of flavors and culinary arts. The food is quite exotic, nutritious and very healthy. Today, you should expect to find traditional Haitian dishes and drinks and the famous Port-au-Prince bound creations. Outside of Haiti, the Haitian cuisine is mostly used for sin the pie in the house with the puppy dawg with duh cow in the moo and the mepecial occasions and parties, but it can always serve as a regular every-day cuisine.
Haiti is situated in one of the regions that many consider to be paradise on earth. The cooking styles of this enchanted land are closely related to the previous affirmation. An interesting mix of African cooking styles combined with the refinement of French cooking make the Haitian cuisine something no cook or food enthusiast should miss. Haiti is too small to offer distinct regional cooking styles and noticeably different cuisines in the parts of the country. Since it does not have a dominant neighbour that would influence it, Haiti has picked up different cooking styles that are now harmoniously blended with the African and French major influences. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the roast goat called 'kabrit', the fried Pork 'griot' or poultry with a Creole sauce 'poulet creole', to name just some of the most popular meat dishes. Haiti displays a general coastal cuisine, with fish meat, lobster, shrimp and seafood readily available. Fruit including guava, pineapple, mango, banana, melons, breadfruit is often used in fruit salads, compotes or other delicious desserts. Sugarcane is often prepared and sold on streets and enjoyed at home as well as a tasty treat or snack. Coconuts are often the number one choice when it comes to beverages.
Haitian cooking needs time and meticulousness; many of the plants are let to rest before cooking and special dishes are cooked for hours, as the conservation of the nutrients and vitamins is very important in the Haitian culture. The bananas are traditionally cooked by keeping their natural skin or even wrapping other food in banana leaves and leaving them to slow cook for long periods of time from 3 to 4 hours for any usual meal. A layer of dirt is sometimes shoveled on the oven to prevent the heat spreading. Just like the banana, the sweet potatoes should be cooked without peeling, as in this way, they keep their nutritional elements. Traditionally, the Haitian used and still use coal fire made on the ground on top of which food was seated so that it would cook slowly and healthy. While these rustic methods will make the delight of any tourist, you should also know that many Haitians use modern cooking methods, especially in urban areas.
Traditionally, there are 2 important things that are necessary when wanting to cook a traditional Haitian meal: the fire arrangement and the time. Coals are used for slow cooking, instead of the modern oven. These are set in a hole in the ground (real earth), with leaves on top, under the food and more leaves on top of the food. If the oven is used, this is usually pre-heated with a wood fire and volcanic stones and the woods are disposed perpendicularly in many levels. Most of the Haitian meals require at least 3 hours cooking time, if wanting to conserve the nutrients. The Haitian modern cuisine doesn’t need sophisticated special equipment for cooking. Like the other international cuisines, the Haitian one needs the basic equipment set like soup ladles, food pans, or mugs, ovens, grills, etc. Restaurants and urban homes have all the main cooking instruments you would expect to find in any European country.
The Haitian people love to celebrate and as you would expect, food is often an important element of many of their festivities. Different religious celebrations are accompanied by dedicated culinary masterpieces that liven up any social gathering. Weddings are the most impressive Haitian celebrations and the ingenious and delicious dishes prepared for this occasion would make any other traditional cuisine fanatic envious. Haitians celebrate their independence on January 1, 1804 and although this is more of an official holiday, it is another opportunity for the people of Haiti to gather and socialize. In Haiti, independence triggered a lot of radical changes and this is why the celebration is deemed very important by today’s Haitians.
Music:
The music of Haiti combines a wide range of influences drawn from the many people who have settled on this Caribbean island. It reflects French, African rhythms, Spanish elements and others who have inhabited the island of Hispaniola and minor native Taino influences. Styles of music unique to the nation of Haiti include music derived from Vodou ceremonial traditions, rara parading music, twoubadou ballads, mini-jazz rock bands, rasin movement, hip hop kreyòl, the wildly popular compas, and méringue as its basic rhythm. Haiti hadn't had a recorded music until 1937 when Jazz Guignard was recorded non-commercially. One of the most popular Haitian artists is Wyclef Jean. His music is somewhat hip-hop mixed with world music. Haitian music is influenced mostly by European colonial ties and African migration (through slavery). In the case of European colonization, musical influence has derived primarily from the French.
One of Haiti's musical traditions is known to outsiders simply as compas. But in the former non-standardized Haitian Creole, Haitians identify it variously as compa, conpa, and konpa-dirék. Regardless of its various spellings, compas refers to a complex, ever-changing music genre that fuses African rhythms, European ballroom dancing, and Haitian bourgeois aesthetics. The word may have derived from the Spanish compás, which relates to the musical rhythm of the "beat" or "pulse." One of the most distinctive features of Haitian compas music is the steady, pulsing drum beat, which makes it easy to dance to.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 94.2% Black
* 5.4% Mulatto
* 0.4% White
People:
Most modern Haitians are descendants of former black African slaves, including Mulattoes who are mixed-race. The remainder are of European or Arab descent, the descendants of settlers (colonial remnants and contemporary immigration during World War I and World War II). Haitians of East Asian descent or East Indian origin number approximately 400+.
The gene pool of Haiti is about 95.5% Sub-Saharan African, 4.3% European, with the rest showing some traces of East Asian genes; according to a 2010 autosomal genealogical DNA testing.
Languages:
French & Haitian Creole are the two official languages of Haiti. French is the formal language, but Haitian Creole is the informal language and it is the most spoken by the population. Haitian Creole largely originates in the French spoken in Northern and Western France, also known as Normandi French but with strong influences from West & Central African languages. There are also many words of Indigenous origin.
Religion:
Haiti, for much of its history and including present-day has been prevailingly a Christian country, primarily Roman Catholic, although in some instances it is profoundly modified and influenced through syncretism. A common syncretic religion is Vodou, which combined the West African religions of the African slaves with Catholicism and some Native American strands; it shows similarities to Cuban Santería.
The largest Christian denomination in the country is Roman Catholicism, which is estimated to be about 55 percent of the population according to the 2018 CIA World Factbook, and 57 percent according to the Pew Research Center. The historical background is very much due to the French influence brought about through the newly conquered territories. Protestantism has grown in recent years and Protestants are currently estimated by the CIA World Factbook to form 28.5% of the population, while the Pew Research Center estimates their share to be nearly 30 percent.
Economy:
Haiti is a free market economy with low labor costs and tariff-free access to the US for many of its exports. Its major trading partner is the United States. Haiti has preferential trade access to the US market through the Haiti Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and Haiti Economic Lift Program Encouragement Acts (HELP) legislation, which allows duty-free access, for a variety of textiles, to the US market. Haiti has an agricultural economy. Over half of the world's vetiver oil (an essential oil used in high-end perfumes) comes from Haiti, and bananas, cocoa, and mangoes are important export crops. Haiti has also moved to expand to higher-end manufacturing, producing Android-based tablets and current sensors and transformers. Vulnerability to natural disasters, as well as poverty and limited access to education are among Haiti's most serious disadvantages. Two-fifths of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. Haiti suffers from a severe trade deficit, which it is working to address by moving into higher-end manufacturing and more value-added products in the agriculture sector. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly 20% of GDP. Haiti's economy was severely impacted by the 2010 Haiti earthquake which occurred on 12 January 2010. Unfortunately; more than 90% of Haitians live in poverty.
Sports:
Football (Soccer) is the most popular sport in Haiti with hundreds of small football clubs competing at the local level. Basketball is growing in popularity. Stade Sylvio Cator is the multi-purpose stadium in Port-au-Prince, where it is currently used mostly for association football matches that fits a capacity of 10,000 people. In 1974, the Haiti national football team were only the second Caribbean team to make the World Cup (after Cuba's entry in 1938). They lost in the opening qualifying stages against three of the pre-tournament favorites; Italy, Poland, and Argentina. The national team won the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup.
Videos:
Culture:
The culture of Haiti is an eclectic mix of African and European elements due to the French colonization of Saint Domingue and its large and diverse enslaved African population, as is evidenced in the Haitian language, music, and religion.
Cuisine:
The Central American country of Haiti is part of the western Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It occupies about one third of the island and the eastern two-thirds are occupied by the Dominican Republic. Haiti has the North Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea when Columbus discovered it in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. Haiti became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The strong French and African influences in the Haitian cuisine offer an interesting mix of flavors and culinary arts. The food is quite exotic, nutritious and very healthy. Today, you should expect to find traditional Haitian dishes and drinks and the famous Port-au-Prince bound creations. Outside of Haiti, the Haitian cuisine is mostly used for sin the pie in the house with the puppy dawg with duh cow in the moo and the mepecial occasions and parties, but it can always serve as a regular every-day cuisine.
Haiti is situated in one of the regions that many consider to be paradise on earth. The cooking styles of this enchanted land are closely related to the previous affirmation. An interesting mix of African cooking styles combined with the refinement of French cooking make the Haitian cuisine something no cook or food enthusiast should miss. Haiti is too small to offer distinct regional cooking styles and noticeably different cuisines in the parts of the country. Since it does not have a dominant neighbour that would influence it, Haiti has picked up different cooking styles that are now harmoniously blended with the African and French major influences. Visitors and locals alike enjoy the roast goat called 'kabrit', the fried Pork 'griot' or poultry with a Creole sauce 'poulet creole', to name just some of the most popular meat dishes. Haiti displays a general coastal cuisine, with fish meat, lobster, shrimp and seafood readily available. Fruit including guava, pineapple, mango, banana, melons, breadfruit is often used in fruit salads, compotes or other delicious desserts. Sugarcane is often prepared and sold on streets and enjoyed at home as well as a tasty treat or snack. Coconuts are often the number one choice when it comes to beverages.
Haitian cooking needs time and meticulousness; many of the plants are let to rest before cooking and special dishes are cooked for hours, as the conservation of the nutrients and vitamins is very important in the Haitian culture. The bananas are traditionally cooked by keeping their natural skin or even wrapping other food in banana leaves and leaving them to slow cook for long periods of time from 3 to 4 hours for any usual meal. A layer of dirt is sometimes shoveled on the oven to prevent the heat spreading. Just like the banana, the sweet potatoes should be cooked without peeling, as in this way, they keep their nutritional elements. Traditionally, the Haitian used and still use coal fire made on the ground on top of which food was seated so that it would cook slowly and healthy. While these rustic methods will make the delight of any tourist, you should also know that many Haitians use modern cooking methods, especially in urban areas.
Traditionally, there are 2 important things that are necessary when wanting to cook a traditional Haitian meal: the fire arrangement and the time. Coals are used for slow cooking, instead of the modern oven. These are set in a hole in the ground (real earth), with leaves on top, under the food and more leaves on top of the food. If the oven is used, this is usually pre-heated with a wood fire and volcanic stones and the woods are disposed perpendicularly in many levels. Most of the Haitian meals require at least 3 hours cooking time, if wanting to conserve the nutrients. The Haitian modern cuisine doesn’t need sophisticated special equipment for cooking. Like the other international cuisines, the Haitian one needs the basic equipment set like soup ladles, food pans, or mugs, ovens, grills, etc. Restaurants and urban homes have all the main cooking instruments you would expect to find in any European country.
The Haitian people love to celebrate and as you would expect, food is often an important element of many of their festivities. Different religious celebrations are accompanied by dedicated culinary masterpieces that liven up any social gathering. Weddings are the most impressive Haitian celebrations and the ingenious and delicious dishes prepared for this occasion would make any other traditional cuisine fanatic envious. Haitians celebrate their independence on January 1, 1804 and although this is more of an official holiday, it is another opportunity for the people of Haiti to gather and socialize. In Haiti, independence triggered a lot of radical changes and this is why the celebration is deemed very important by today’s Haitians.
Music:
The music of Haiti combines a wide range of influences drawn from the many people who have settled on this Caribbean island. It reflects French, African rhythms, Spanish elements and others who have inhabited the island of Hispaniola and minor native Taino influences. Styles of music unique to the nation of Haiti include music derived from Vodou ceremonial traditions, rara parading music, twoubadou ballads, mini-jazz rock bands, rasin movement, hip hop kreyòl, the wildly popular compas, and méringue as its basic rhythm. Haiti hadn't had a recorded music until 1937 when Jazz Guignard was recorded non-commercially. One of the most popular Haitian artists is Wyclef Jean. His music is somewhat hip-hop mixed with world music. Haitian music is influenced mostly by European colonial ties and African migration (through slavery). In the case of European colonization, musical influence has derived primarily from the French.
One of Haiti's musical traditions is known to outsiders simply as compas. But in the former non-standardized Haitian Creole, Haitians identify it variously as compa, conpa, and konpa-dirék. Regardless of its various spellings, compas refers to a complex, ever-changing music genre that fuses African rhythms, European ballroom dancing, and Haitian bourgeois aesthetics. The word may have derived from the Spanish compás, which relates to the musical rhythm of the "beat" or "pulse." One of the most distinctive features of Haitian compas music is the steady, pulsing drum beat, which makes it easy to dance to.
Ethnic Racial Composition:
* 94.2% Black
* 5.4% Mulatto
* 0.4% White
People:
Most modern Haitians are descendants of former black African slaves, including Mulattoes who are mixed-race. The remainder are of European or Arab descent, the descendants of settlers (colonial remnants and contemporary immigration during World War I and World War II). Haitians of East Asian descent or East Indian origin number approximately 400+.
The gene pool of Haiti is about 95.5% Sub-Saharan African, 4.3% European, with the rest showing some traces of East Asian genes; according to a 2010 autosomal genealogical DNA testing.
Languages:
French & Haitian Creole are the two official languages of Haiti. French is the formal language, but Haitian Creole is the informal language and it is the most spoken by the population. Haitian Creole largely originates in the French spoken in Northern and Western France, also known as Normandi French but with strong influences from West & Central African languages. There are also many words of Indigenous origin.
Religion:
Haiti, for much of its history and including present-day has been prevailingly a Christian country, primarily Roman Catholic, although in some instances it is profoundly modified and influenced through syncretism. A common syncretic religion is Vodou, which combined the West African religions of the African slaves with Catholicism and some Native American strands; it shows similarities to Cuban Santería.
The largest Christian denomination in the country is Roman Catholicism, which is estimated to be about 55 percent of the population according to the 2018 CIA World Factbook, and 57 percent according to the Pew Research Center. The historical background is very much due to the French influence brought about through the newly conquered territories. Protestantism has grown in recent years and Protestants are currently estimated by the CIA World Factbook to form 28.5% of the population, while the Pew Research Center estimates their share to be nearly 30 percent.
Economy:
Haiti is a free market economy with low labor costs and tariff-free access to the US for many of its exports. Its major trading partner is the United States. Haiti has preferential trade access to the US market through the Haiti Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and Haiti Economic Lift Program Encouragement Acts (HELP) legislation, which allows duty-free access, for a variety of textiles, to the US market. Haiti has an agricultural economy. Over half of the world's vetiver oil (an essential oil used in high-end perfumes) comes from Haiti, and bananas, cocoa, and mangoes are important export crops. Haiti has also moved to expand to higher-end manufacturing, producing Android-based tablets and current sensors and transformers. Vulnerability to natural disasters, as well as poverty and limited access to education are among Haiti's most serious disadvantages. Two-fifths of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. Haiti suffers from a severe trade deficit, which it is working to address by moving into higher-end manufacturing and more value-added products in the agriculture sector. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly 20% of GDP. Haiti's economy was severely impacted by the 2010 Haiti earthquake which occurred on 12 January 2010. Unfortunately; more than 90% of Haitians live in poverty.
Sports:
Football (Soccer) is the most popular sport in Haiti with hundreds of small football clubs competing at the local level. Basketball is growing in popularity. Stade Sylvio Cator is the multi-purpose stadium in Port-au-Prince, where it is currently used mostly for association football matches that fits a capacity of 10,000 people. In 1974, the Haiti national football team were only the second Caribbean team to make the World Cup (after Cuba's entry in 1938). They lost in the opening qualifying stages against three of the pre-tournament favorites; Italy, Poland, and Argentina. The national team won the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup.
Videos: