Six ways to eat our Haitian cassava bread

Ever wondered what to make with a batch of cassava bread? What if I told you the possibilities were endless?

Trust me on this one. When it comes to our Haitian kasav, all you have to do is let your creativity come to life in the kitchen. If you crave it, there’s definitely a chance you can make it happen with some cassava. That’s the approach I have been taking with this local staple ever since my first cassava bread article. As I prefaced then, this Haitian staple is quite versatile.

It is this versatility I want to highlight today. The recipe suggestions below are ideas I have tried and tested. I promise they’re each worth a shot.  I wouldn’t be sharing them with you otherwise.

Please note that this list does include the typical kasav ak mamba and cassava pudding. I could never ignore the traditional way of eating our cassava bread. But I promise, this list does include suggestions that go beyond those. I hope you’ll enjoy discovering them. And, if you think there’s anything missing from this list, please do let me know in the comments below.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

1. Kasav a mamba

   That’s Haitian Creole for cassava bread with peanut butter. Not just any peanut butter. Haitian peanut butter. And when it comes to me, I like our spicy peanut butter. Yep, our peanut butter is spiced up with piment bouc.

2. Cassava Chips

   These chips are heavenly. They pair well with your favorite dips and sauces. Grab the cheesy cassava chips recipe here.

3. Cassava Pudding

   The best pudding out there. It’s even better than your regular pudding, in my opinion. And I have just the recipe for it here.

4. Cassava Nachos

   Prepare some cassava chips and top them with your favorite meat. I topped mine with some Haitian griot – fried pork, – Haitian pikliz, green olives, black olives, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream and fresh parsley. It was heaven.

5. Cassavas Tacos

   You’ll need soft cassava bread for this one. You can fold them and fill them with your favorite toppings. But I highly recommend you try filling yours with some fried pork meat, Haitian pikliz and pickled shallots or my spicy mango salsa for an explosion of flavors.

6. Cassava croquettes

   They say everything tastes better fried. I must say, there’s some truth in that one when it comes to those croquettes. They’re cheesy, they’re crispy, they’re perfect. Plus they’re quite easy to prepare as highlighted in the recipe box below. Please do make the flavors your own. Season your croquettes to your taste.

   

   Cheesy Haitian Cassava Bread Croquettes

   These cassava bread croquettes make a great appetizer. When I first tried them croquettes, their texture reminded me a lot of the Haitian kibbeh. I would recommend trying seasoning them to your taste. 

   Print Recipe Pin Recipe

   Prep Time 20 mins

   Cook Time 15 mins

   Ingredients

     

   For the croquettes

   • Cassava bread
   • 1 small can of milk 5 oz
   • 2-3 garlic heads chopped
   • ¼ tsp black pepper
   • 1 piment bouc
   • ½ lb of well-seasoned cooked ground meat
   • Grated cheese to taste
   • Flour for dusting

   For the sauce

   • 1 tbsp mayo
   • 2 garlic heads chopped
   • 1 lime juice
   • 1/8 tsp black pepper
   • Piment bouc chopped to taste

   Instructions

    

   For the sauce

   • In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well
   • Set aside

   For the croquettes

   • Soak the cassava bread in the milk so as to yield about 2 cups of soaked kasav
   • Season to taste with the fresh garlic, pepper and piment bouc chopped
   • Incorporate the ground meat and grated cheese
   • Shape the mixture into flattened balls
   • Dust them generously with flour
   • Deep fry them in sizzling hot oil
   • Enjoy with the sauce