Misplaced Pages

Epis

Epis
Alternative names	Epise, zepis
Type	Flavor base
Place of origin	Haiti
Main ingredients	Bell peppers, garlic, citrus juice, parsley, and other herbs and spices

Epis (/ˈɛpiːs/, Haitian Creole: epis) is a blend of peppers, garlic, and herbs that is used as a flavor base for many foods in Haitian cuisine. Some refer to it as a pesto sauce. It is also known as epise and zepis. It is essential for Haitian cuisine.

Background

Epis has Taino and African origins. It also has similarities to sofrito which is used in Hispanic cuisine. This use of a flavor base is common in Caribbean cuisine.

Ingredients

Epis often contains parsley, scallions, garlic, citrus juice, and Scotch bonnet peppers. Numerous recipes for epis exist, as traditionally, Haitian women would cook and have their personal epis recipe. Also, various regions have different recipes.

Preparation

Traditionally, epis is made with a large wooden mortar and pestle (called munsh pilon). Today, it is often made with a blender. The ingredients are blended until the consistency is as smooth as desired.

Use

It can be used as a marinade for meat. It can also marinate fish. It also is added to flavor a number of Haitian dishes. This includes rice and beans, soups, and stews. It is a convenient way to utilize flavors from fresh herbs and spices in everyday cooking. Many Haitians have epis available on hand to be used for various dishes.

Dishes

• Griot
• Haitian spaghetti

Storage

Epis can last up to three months in the refrigerator, but this time will vary depending on the ingredients that are used. The acidity helps keep the ingredients from spoiling. Epis will last indefinitely in the freezer and will not transfer its odor to other freezer items. The epis can be distributed in an ice cube tray and frozen, so that the frozen cubes can be used in future cooking.

See also

• Sofrito
• Holy trinity
• Tempering (spices)
• Mirepoix
• Sauce

References

1. ^ "Haitian Epis". Haitian Cooking -. 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
2. ^ "Haitian epis". That Girl Cooks Healthy. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
3. Louis-Jean, James; Sanon, Debbie; Louis-Jean, Kevin; Sanon, Nicole; Stvil Louis-Jean, Ruthonce; Thomas, Michelle Luvy (2021-04-09). "Valorization of pikliz: a spicy meal garnishment in Haitian cuisine". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 8 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1186/s42779-021-00077-5. ISSN 2352-6181.
4. ^ Long, L.M. (2015). Ethnic American Food Today: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 257. ISBN 978-1-4422-2731-6. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
5. ^ "Haitian Epis (Haitian Seasoning Base) Recipe". Savory Thoughts. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
6. ^ "Epis (Haitian Seasoning Base)". Epicurious. 2016-12-19. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
7. ^ Ménager, M.C. (2005). Fine Haitian Cuisine (in French). Educa Vision. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-58432-256-6. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
8. ^ Charles, T.; Alcántara, J. (2021). Freedom Soup. Candlewick Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-5362-2165-7. Retrieved 2021-04-11.
9. "Simple Haitian Epis". sidechef.com. 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2021-04-11.

v t e Cooking techniques
List of cooking techniques
Dry	Conduction Dry roasting Hot salt frying Searing Convection Baking Roasting (modern) Smoking Barbecue Radiation Charbroiler Grilling (charbroiling) Roasting (traditional) Rotisserie Toasting
Wet	High heat Blanching Boiling Decoction Parboiling Shocking Reduction Low heat Coddling Creaming Infusion Poaching Simmering Slow cooking Smothering Steeping Stewing Indirect heat Bain-marie (Double boiling) Sous-vide Double steaming Steaming
Fat-based	High heat Basting Blackening Browning Frying Deep frying Pan frying Shallow frying Stir frying Sautéing Low heat Gentle frying Sweating
Mixed medium	Carryover cooking Barbecuing Braising Caramelization Deglazing Flambé Fricassee Indirect grilling/Plank cooking Stir frying (chao)
Device-based	Air frying Microwaving Pressure cooking Pressure frying Slow cooker Thermal cooking
Non-heat	Aging Brining Burying in ground Curing Drying Fermenting Juicing Pickling Purée Salting Souring
See also	List of cooking appliances List of cooking vessels Outdoor cooking Food preparation Food preservation Food safety
Category

v t e Meat
Poultry	Cassowary Rooster Chicken Duck Emu Goose Ostrich Pigeon Quail Rhea Turkey
Livestock	Alpaca Beef Beefalo Bison Buffalo Camel Cat Goat Dog Donkey Snails Frog Guinea pig Horse Lamb and mutton Llama Pork Veal Yak Żubroń
Game	Alligator Bat Bear Bushmeat Boar Crocodile Elephant Fox Iguana Kangaroo Monkey Mouse Pangolin Rat Hare Rabbit Snake Turtle Venison Dog Wolf
Fish	Anchovy Basa Bass Carp Catfish Cod Crappie Eel Flounder Grouper Haddock Halibut Herring Kingfish Mackerel Mahi Mahi Marlin Milkfish Orange roughy Pacific saury Perch Pike Pollock Salmon Sardine Shark Sole Swai Swordfish Tilapia Trout Tuna Walleye
Shellfish and other seafood	Abalone Calamari Chiton Clam Crab Crayfish Dolphin Lobster Mussel Octopus Oyster Scallop Seal Shrimp/prawn Sea cucumber Sea urchin Whale Sea squirt Jellyfish
Insects	Ants Black soldier fly maggots Cicada Crickets Flour Grasshoppers (locust) Mealworm Mezcal worm Silkworm Mopane worm Palm grub
Cuts and preparation	Aged Bacon Barbecued Biltong Braised Burger Charcuterie Chop Confit Corned Cured Cutlet Dried Dum Fermented Fillet/supreme Forcemeat Cretons Pâté Fried Frozen Ground Ham Jerky Kebab Kidney Liver Luncheon meat Marinated Meatball Meatloaf Offal Pickled Pemmican Poached Potted Rillettes Roasted Salt-cured Salumi Sausage Smoked Steak Stewed Tandoor Tartare
List articles	Meat dishes Beef Chicken Fish Goat Lamb Pork Ham Seafood Veal Steaks Meatball Smoked foods Sausage Other Countries by meat consumption Countries by meat production Food and drink prohibitions Meat substitutes
Ethics and psychology	Ethics of eating meat Carnism Animal rights Psychology of eating meat Meat paradox
Alternatives	Vegetarianism Semi-vegetarianism Pescetarianism Pollotarianism Plant-based diet Meat alternative Veganism
Meat science	Beef hormone controversy Drip loss Feed conversion ratio Preservation Tenderness Water holding capacity
Meat industry	Broker Branch house Butcher Cutter Environmental impact Factory farming Jobber Packing Slaughter Slaughterhouse
Related subjects	Arachnophagy Cannibalism Case-ready meat Meat diaper Cultured meat Entomophagy Marbled Artificial Mystery meat Offal Non-vegetarian food in India Pink slime Raw meat Red meat Roadkill cuisine Warmed-over flavor White meat
Food portal  Category: Meat

• Cooking techniques
• Food ingredients
• Haitian cuisine
• Marinades