Do you enjoy fruit? Haiti’s tropical climate houses many delicious fruits including cherries, bananas, coconuts, and mangos. A Haitian favorite is “kenep,” or “Spanish Lime,” a green, sweet, tree-growing fruit with a hint of tartness. Kenep is often eaten raw, but is often added to Haitian drinks and also available in canned form to expand cooking choices.
The national fruit of Haiti is the “Mango Francique,” (also known as the Haitian Mango) but there are many mango varieties grown in Haiti. Mangos are added to various dishes like fruit salads, juices, and sorbets. In its green form, mango is made into chutneys, relishes, and pickles.
If you’d like to explore a dish highlighting some of Haiti’s fruit bounty, here is a Haitian Mango Chicken Dish to try!
Ingredients (serves 4)
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped green pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1 cup mango, puréed
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water
¼ cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon candied ginger, diced
1 ½ cups mango, cubed
2 cups cooked rice
Pound chicken breasts until they reach ¼-inch thickness.
Sauté with green pepper in butter until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add bouillon, puréed mango, orange juice, water, sherry and ginger to pan. Stir and simmer 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens.
Return chicken to skillet and add cubed mango. Heat through.
Serve with rice.