My dad was born in Port-au-Prince in Haiti and lived there until he was three years old. He moved to New York City with my grandmother and his sister and grew up and went to school in Brooklyn and Queens. As a first generation Haitian immigrant, it was common to eat kabrit (the Haitian Creole word for goat) with things such as rice and beans or white rice with red bean sauce. Kabrit would also sometimes be eaten with diri djondjon, black rice made with black djondjon mushrooms, typically with peas as well. Djondjon mushrooms only grow on Hispaniola, the island that Haiti is on. I first had goat at a Haitian restaurant with my dad in Miami, where I was visiting my aunt and other cousins on my dad’s side of the family. This was my first ever experience eating authentic Haitian food, which made it feel very important, especially since I was able to experience it with my dad and other Haitian relatives in a restaurant. When I first tried the fried goat at the restaurant I immediately really liked it and it has since become my favourite type of meat. On special occasions when I go to a Haitian restaurant with my dad I always get goat, typically with djondjon rice or another type of rice and beans and sometimes a side of plantains.

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant