Benzolive
Ben
Moringa oleifera
The horseradish tree is grown from cuttings as a hedge plant. From the roasted seeds is extracted an oil which is used to anoint the body. It is similarly grown as a hedge plant in West Africa, where the leaves are used in salads and the leaves and young pods in soups. As it was well known to the Islamic peoples of the Mediterranean in the 13th century, it may have been carried to Hispaniola by the Spanish.
Béregène
Eggplant
Solanum melongena
It is sown in a seed bed and transplanted to a plot not far from the house. The native variety is small and green, or green and red in color and tends to be bitter especially if growing conditions are poor. Near cities, big purple eggplant is raised from purchased imported seed. It is eaten fried or boiled and mashed. Though it is common in the country markets, eggplant is a minor item in the local diet.
Blinblin
Cucumber tree
Averrhoa bilimbi
Blinblin is rare in Haiti. From the little green fruit, the sour juice is extracted to be used as a seasoning on meat.
Calebasse
Gourd
Lagenaria vulgaris
Two varieties of gourd are grown in Haiti: Calebasse Douce, a large edible gourd the shape and size of an Indian club and Calebasse Courant, a small gourd used for making containers. When it is still green, the Calebasse Douce is gathered and prepared for eating by peeling, slicing, and boiling. The little (5x10cm) tan, hard, oval fruits of Calebasse Courant are made into tafia cups called moque and into suction devices for drawing blood and pus from a wound or boil. Neigher variety is common in the markets.
Chou
Cabbage
Brassica spp.
Outside of mountain truck gardening areas the principal cabbage raised in Haiti is the non-heading chou pays (Brassica campestris), which is propagated from sections of the stalk. It is grown on a small scale in mixed plantings, and the leaves are eaten boiled. Heading cabbage (Brassica oleracea), and chou moutarde (Brassica integrifolia) are grown from purchased seed at Kenscoff, Seguin, and the Fôret des Pins primarily for sale in city markets. Wood ashes are applied to control worms.
Cive
Chive
Allium schoenoprasum
Several species of Allium - onion, leek, shallot, and chive - are raised in Haiti, with production concentrated in the mountains near Kenscoff. Leek for the Port-au-Prince market leads in quantity. Throughout the country, chive is grown in small quantities.
Cresson d'eau
Water cress
Nasturtium officinale
Except near the mountain region near Furcy, where it is grown for the Port-au-Prince market, it is not plentiful, though it is raised in the lowlands. Propagation is by sections set in the shallow running water of stream beds that have ben terraced with low stone barriers. Watercress is eaten both raw and cooked.
Giraumont
Squash
Cucurbita moschata
The name is a corruption of the Tupi gerimu. C. pepo and C. maxima are raised in Haiti, but far the most common of the cucurbita is the C. moschata. The giraumont ranges in appearance from warty to smooth, dark green to light green, to dark green with light green stripes, and from discoidal to ellipsoidal to bell-shaped.
It is planted with other crops, very often maize, at high altitudes and low, in regions and dry. In the mountains south of Kenscoff, it is a favored crop on the steepest slopes. Sometimes two or three seeds are planted together so that in the words of the peasant, "the worm can cut one or two". Rats gnaw holes in the ripe fruits and eat the seeds. Therefore, squash is often planted at the base of a tree so that the vine will climb out of reach of the rodents.
Ordinarily the flesh is simply boiled or incorporated in soup. A more elaborate dish is prepared by mashing the boiled squash, adding oil and spices, and reheating it. The seeds are saved to roasted, ground in a mortar, and boiled in water to extract their oil which is skimmed from the surface. Also, the roasted seeds may be cracked to obtain their meats to use in candy. Tender new growth on the vines is cut for potherbs. The flowers are the basis for a medicinal tea for nursing mothers and for victims of jaundice.
Gombo or Calalou
Okra
Hibiscus esculentus
A native of Africa, okra is widely raised in sunny spots in mixed plantings. It is sown in the spring or fall rainy season, and the plant begins to bear after three months. Several varieties are recognized on the basis of length and color of the fruit, which ranges from red through red and green to green. A favored food for children is boiled green okra. In soups, stews, and meat sauces, sliced okra is an esteemed ingredient. Tussac wrote that the slaves were very fond of calalou gombo. (Calalou is a term that is applied to stew in general and to gombo stew in particular.) He described a dish of boiled greens - leaves of gombo, giramount, Corchorus siliquosus, Solanum nigrum - seasoned with chili and bearing the name of calalou z'herbe. The tender terminal growth of okra is a popular potherb in contemporary Haiti.
Leaf-eating larvae are a pest.
Mirliton
Chayote
Sechium edule
Seeds of chayote are planted at the base of trees, which support their vines. After six months they begin to bear, and they continue for three years in good soil. They are common in all but the driest sections of the country. Varieties are Des Indes, Blanc, Piquant, and D'Orbe. Des Indes is light green, 15 cm (6 in.) long, and spineless; Blanc is similar but lighter in color and the heaviest yielding; Piquant is spiny; D'orbe is only 5 cm (2 in.) long.
Sliced into thin strips, chayote is boiled and served in lieu of string beans. Mashed boiled chayote is mixed with fat and spices in casserole. For preservation, slices are dried in the sun. Reputedly it has a calming effect on sexual passion. The tender new growth is cooked for greens.
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