Epis and Pikliz

Epis / Pikliz

Specialised

Two things without which Haitian food does not work. EPIS — the green seasoning blended and kept in a jar in every household: parsley, scallion, thyme, garlic, onion, bell and Scotch bonnet pepper, clove, lime or bitter orange, oil. Every meat, bean and rice dish starts with it, and every household’s is slightly different. PIKLIZ — cabbage, carrot, shallot and a great deal of Scotch bonnet packed into vinegar and left to sour, served with everything fried and especially with griot. ⚠ EPIS IS NOT SOFRITO. It is herb-led and green where Cuban and Puerto Rican sofrito are allium-and-pepper led, and they are recorded as separate preparations that can be compared rather than merged.

Atlas — where and when

Communities and languages

Languages: Haitian Creole

What is recorded

Epis is recorded as a distinct preparation from Cuban and Puerto Rican sofrito: herb-led, built on parsley, thyme and scallion with citrus, rather than allium-and-pepper led. The preparations are recorded as comparable and are not merged. documented

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

related to Puerto Rican Dishes and Sofrito documented
⚠ Epis and sofrito are comparable green/aromatic bases and are NOT merged. Epis is herb-led; Puerto Rican sofrito is ají dulce and culantro led.