Food - Drink
What Makes Haitian Peanut Butter So Special
By MICHELLE WELSCH
All different types of nut butter fill the aisles of American grocery stores, from sweet or crunchy peanut butters to a wide assortment of alternative butters, but there is one missing from the shelves — mamba. This Haitian butter has such a unique flavor that mamba-missing Haitians go well out of their way to procure the ingredients and make their own batches.
The traditional process of making this Haitian peanut butter begins by roasting peanuts in a large pot over an open fire. Next comes the shelling, which requires a practiced technique — a series of repetitive movements that remove peanuts from their shells by tossing and catching them in a tray.
When it's time for the nuts to be ground, spices and peppers are added to the mixture — dried cayenne might be sprinkled into a batch meant for storage, while fresh peppers can be folded into servings that will be eaten immediately. An assortment of spices can be first fried in coconut oil to help bring out richness in the mamba flavor.