Haitian sweet treats are not only delicious, they are beautifully crafted with rich historical meaning behind them. With it's popularity in Haiti and abroad, many love the Haitian fudge candy dous makòs. If you've been lucky enough to taste the delicious Haitian dessert "dous makòs", I bet you haven't thought about how this magic formula originated. Typically, we don't think about the stories behind food, but they are so important, especially in the Haitian culture for preserving the authentic gastronomy. 
 
Today we will explore together one of the tastiest Haitian products, the "dous makòs".
 
The Origin Of Dous Makòs
This rectangular-shaped multicolored candy, made mainly from milk and sugar, is part of the food heritage and marks the identity of the city of Petit-Goâve. "Dous makòs" is a specialty of the city of Faustin Soulouque (Emperor of the Republic of Haiti between 1847 and 1859, under the name of Faustin 1st), this commune, located 68 km south of Port-au-Prince, in the western department. The natives of Petit-Goâve attach so much importance to their product that even a carnaval celebration bears its name "Kanaval Dous Makòs la".
 
Historical Reference For Dous Makòs
​According to what the story tells, the "dous makòs" was created in the 1930s by Mrs. Macoss. This oral history tale turned a corner when in 1939, Mrs. Fernand Labarre, an employee in Madame Macoss's factory, took over the activities of her late boss by marketing the multicolored candy under the name "La Douce de Madame Macoss" hence the name "Dous Makòs". In fact, the creation of this fabulous dessert is attributed to Mrs. Macoss.
 
Dous Makòs Ingredients And Recipe
The formula has been carefully learned and transmitted over the years by the Labarre family; they consider it a family recipe. The candy fudge can be found for sale in all areas of Haiti. It's a staple item to bring as gifts to family and friends, especially when visiting from Haiti.
 
There are three types of "dous makòs" depending on the milk used for a rich range of flavor such as chocolate etc. This candy is striped with five color layers, two of which are pink and brown. It is generally pink in color, this color is obtained by diluting pink cochineal powder in ordinary alcohol or clairin (Haitian Creole for drinking alcohol).

• Mix the milk with the ingredients
• Add the sugar while stirring
• Pour it into wooden molds and cool for about six hours
• Once cooled, the "dous makòs" forms a paste, ready to be cut into small pieces by hand

 
Today, even if it is a pioneer in the field, the exclusivity of the dous makòs brand is not attributed to the Labarre family because there are other workshops in Petit-Goâve and in neighboring regions which produce it. The delicious "dous makòs" is one of those products that have made a special place for themselves in Haitian gastronomy.

If you're looking for dous makòs for sale, check out Bon Bon Lakay to purchase online!  

Let us know in the comments if you've tried dous makòs and what you thought of it!

Since we have little ones now,  I've done something I never thought I'd do - I converted our dining room (which we actually used) to a playroom! Crazy, I know. I am an interior design wannabe with a wannabe minor in decorating.

Our home is full of Haitian art in all different forms like paintings, sculptures, statues, papier mache, woven materials and mosaics. Since I had so much of the Haitian decor already, I figured why not create a Haiti inspired playroom! 

First thing first, I had my husband raise the gigantic chandelier so adults would stop bumping their heads on it. Some of the Haitian paintings were already hung so that made the wall decor easy. Check out our unique Haitian paintings for sale here.

​These paintings were done by my husband's cousin in Haiti. The one in the green frame was painted on a burlap sak and glued to a hard cardboard material. The frame is actually one that I found in the garbage! It was originally gold and had an ugly horse painting in it. Thankfully the Haitian painting was the exact same size! (fun fact - I love repurposing things and thrifting...it's one of my favorite things to do!) ​

Playroom Inspiration
If you're tired of stepping on legos and tripping over trucks, try dedicating a corner (or a room if you have the space) for the toys to make a playroom or play area. It's nice to have the toys in one area so that we could have our living room back. I have a playroom board on Pinterest where I got my inspiration! Check it out here.

Other Fun Haiti Inspired Things in Our Playroom
​Add this short story book to your collection! It was written and designed by me :) 

Mermaid Violette is madly in love. Her friends -- a crab, fish, dolphin, jellyfish and shrimp, all wonder who Violette loves so much and can't live without. Read the book to find out who the lucky one is!
The story is written in English. Bonus pages of sea creatures in English and Haitian Creole!

Add these customizable wall art prints to your little one's room or playroom! Designed by me :) 

I plan to do more blogs about Haiti inspired rooms and home decor so stay tuned! ​Thanks for stopping by!

I am a sucker for all Haitian made items. If it was made in Haiti, it's for me! I ordered these adorable bracelets from www.SimbiHaiti.com over the holidays. The shipping was lightning fast and the product is great quality. They are also super adorable, but most importantly they help bring clean water and jobs to Haiti! mesi anpil!