The Caribbean Dictionary

ananci
A spider
animal
2
An alcoholic beverage made by soaking anise leaves in rum and adding sugar for sweetening.
food
0
banana fritters
A fried meal item made from a batter consisting primarily of ripe bananas (usually overripe) and flour.
food
0
A dish of twice fried green plantain. Slices or chunks of plantain are slow fried, then pressed flat and fried again. The slices are...
food
0
bandoo
A rigid metal, plastic or wooden band used to keep womens' hair in place.
clothes
2
bannan
Plantains
food, fruit, plant
4
callaloo
A thick spicy soup-like dish made with a green leafy vegetable as a main ingredient. The vegetable is usually aramanth or dasheen leaves.
food
9
One who is possessed by a loa (spirit) during a Vodou ritual.
folklore, mythology
0
crapo
A frog or toad
animal
17
Local dialect derived from African and various European languages (usually some combination of English, French, Spanish or Dutch)
0
A native dish of Haiti consisting of rice and edible black mushrooms called "djon djon". The meal is more common in the northern...
food
1
Sweetheart
0
The Vodun Festival of the Dead, marked on November 2nd anually.
folklore, mythology
0
fig

fig

Banana
food, fruit
3
fig bannan
Banana
food, fruit
0
fritaille
A dish with fried meat as the primary ingredient. A typical example will have will have fried goat (tassot cabrit) or fried beef...
0
fritay
A dish with fried meat as the primary ingredient. A typical example will have will have fried goat (tassot cabrit) or fried beef...
0
gombo
Cashew
food, fruit, plant
3
kenep
Ovoid green fruit that grows in bunches on trees up to 30m high. The fruit typically ripen during the summer. The fruit is related to...
food, fruit, plant
54
A rum like spirit made from sugar cane juice.
food
0
A homemade firework popular around the Christmas/New Year's season
0
Local dialect derived from African and various European languages (usually some combination of English, French, Spanish or Dutch)
0
labrapen
Seeded breadfruit
food
0
lamveritab
Tree and fruit native to the Pacific Islands and Malaysia that was brought to the West Indies in the 18th century. The fruit is large...
food, plant, fruit
1

loa

The spirits of Haitian Voodoo that serve as an intermediary between God and humanity.
folklore, mythology
0

lwa

The spirits of Haitian Voodoo that serve as an intermediary between God and humanity.
folklore, mythology
2
The spirits of Haitian Voodoo that serve as an intermediary between God and humanity.
folklore, mythology
0
A spicy nut butter made from peanuts, sugar and hot pepper.
food
0
pacay
Inga feuilleei is a legume that produces a podded fruit with a smooth textured, sweet, edible white pulp surrounding the seeds.
food, fruit, plant
0
A Haitian analogue to Santa Claus
person
1