If you want to get to the root of all Haitian cuisine, look no further. Haitian epis is a blend of herbs and vegetables that forms the base for most of the dishes eaten in the country!
Recipe Origins
Haitian cuisine is flavorful and delicious, and one of the most important reasons for this is Epis! Epis is a blend of vegetables, herbs and spices that are used to flavor almost every dish in Haiti.
Epis can be used to flavor soups, stews, and rice, and is also a great choice for a marinade (it’s very similar to the Green Seasoning used in my Oil Down recipe from Grenada).
The recipe for Epis changes based on who is making it and where in the country it’s being made. It’s easy to adjust to your preference and is the perfect way to add some delicious Haitian flavor to your cooking.
Why Make this Recipe
- Versatile: You can use your Haitian Epis to add flavor to almost anything!
- Adaptable: Like spicy? Adapt the recipe. Don’t like cloves? Adapt the recipe. You can change this recipe to fit your tastes!
- “Travel” to Haiti: The food of Haiti is incredible, and well-loved by those from the country and by people around the world. Adding Epis to your recipes will give you a taste of what Haitian food is really like (and if you really want a true taste of Haiti, serve your dish with this Pikliz Recipe too!)
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Parsley: You can use Italian parsley or standard parsley, either will work.
- Bell Peppers: I use red and green
- Bouillon: I use a chicken bouillon cube. Make sure to crumble it up into the blender so that it disperses evenly
- Cloves: I use whole cloves for the sharpest taste, but you can also use ground cloves
Other Ingredients
The below ingredients are not listed in my Haitian Epis Recipe, but have been included in other videos/recipes I found while researching. You can choose to add them to your Epis Recipe if you prefer:
- Cilantro
- White Onion
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: If you want a spicy Epis (Habanero can be substituted if you can’t find scotch bonnet)
- Vinegar: To extend shelf life
- Lime Juice
Tools
- Food Processor/Blender: This recipe is easiest to make when you have a blender to combine it all. In Haiti, it is often made with a mortar and pestle, so you can also try that if you’d prefer.
How to Make this Recipe
Use a food processor or a blender to blend everything together until smooth.
Expert Tips
- You can add water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the Epis is too thick. Don’t add too much at one time because you don’t want it to be too runny. Try to match the consistency of the photos in this article 🙂
- Smell your herbs before buying them to make sure you are getting the freshest options
- Go make some Haitian Griot and then enjoy them dunked in this sauce. Haitian Epis is the base for Haitian Spaghetti so enjoy using some of this the next night.
Recipe FAQs
If you make this recipe as is, it will last in the fridge for 7-10 days.
If you add lime juice, lemon juice, or vinegar, the shelf life will be extended. Adding Apple Cider Vinegar to this recipe will allow the epis to last for about 30 days in the fridge.
I stored my Haitian Epis in a mason jar with a lid. You can store it in a mason jar, but any airtight container will work just fine.
Research Sources
I used these YouTube videos to teach me how to make this Haitian Epis Recipe:
- How to Make Haitian Spices/Epis from ThatNurse CanCook
- How to Make Haitian Epis | Haitian Spice Recipe | Episode 18 from Let’s Get Cooking with Lamise O
- How to Make Haitian Epis aka Haitian Seasoning from Haitian Dining with Marie
I also had my recipe looked over by Miata from Love of Yum.
Did you like this Haitian Epis Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
If you make this recipe at home, leave a review/comment on this post letting us know what you thought!
And don’t forget to share a photo of your finished product on Facebook and Instagram and tag @TheForeignFork and hashtag #TheForeignFork.
Haitian Epis Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor/Blender
Ingredients
- 4 Stalks Scallions
- 8 stalks Fresh Thyme
- 1 cup Parsley
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 2-3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube, crumbled
- 1 tsp cloves
- ¼ cup Water, only if necessary
Instructions
- Use a food processor or a blender to blend everything (except water) together until smooth.
- See Notes below on adding water.
Notes
- Parsley: You can use Italian parsley or standard parsley, either will work.
- Bell Peppers: I use red and green
- Bouillon: I use a chicken bouillon cube. Make sure to crumble it up into the blender so that it disperses evenly
- Cloves: I use whole cloves for the sharpest taste, but you can also use ground cloves
- You can add water, 1 tablespoon at a time if the Epis is too thick. Don’t add too much at one time because you don’t want it to be too runny. Try to match the consistency of the photos in this article 🙂
- Smell your herbs before buying them to make sure you are getting the freshest options
Rose says
This is great!
Epis is like magic in the kitchen. Preparing it in advance will cut the cooking time by at least 15 minutes. Since most bouillon cubes have MSG, we don’t use them in our epis, we add more garlic and definitely olive oil to last longer. Thanks!!
The Foreign Fork says
Epis is definitely magic! Thanks for your tips and the review 🙂
Carine says
It looks fantastic. Haitian epis is very versatile. Growing up, my grandma used only leeks, celery flowers, garlic, black pepper and chicken bouillon in her epis and her food always tasted super delicious. Next time, try adding olive oil instead of water. It’ll actually last longer and taste even better. But, either way, great job.
The Foreign Fork says
So glad you approve Carine! The olive oil definitely sounds delicious so I will try that next time.
Thanks for the comment!