In the United States, the month of May is known for many celebrations, such as Haitian Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage, Asian American/Pacific Islanders Heritage, National Asparagus Month, and more. In honor of my Haitian culture, I want to share a group of food that you may not be familiar with.
In the Haitian culture there is a group of food refer to as “viv” which mean “live”. It is a Creole term we use when referring to products including yam, malanga, yuca, taro, sweet potatoes, potatoes, plantains, bread fruits and some other foods. Those are the foods that are generally characterized as whole foods which has not been processed, not been refined, do not have added sugars, or flavorings. The consumption of “viv” will results in a more nutritious eating pattern that is naturally higher in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is important to be mindful of portion size when consuming “viv” especially people living with diabetes since it is a group of foods that are naturally starchy.
All these foods require cooking, they cannot be consumed raw. Proper cooking technique is important to help the body digest the food better. The product must be manipulated, a knife is needed to peel and cut them, a grater and/or blender depending on what you are preparing, they can also be boiled or baked with the skin. The cooking methods and techniques used to prepare these foods are not all healthy cooking. Keep in mind that health is a balancing act, with everything in moderation.
I encourage you to try some of these foods. See the cooking technique chart to learn the different ways to enjoy “viv”. Add yam in your soup, have mashed yuca or breadfruit known as “Fufu/foufou”, or have a fried plantain (tostones) sandwich (see my IG for a post on that) . Let me know if you are interested in learning more about recipes and portion size for this group.
If you have had ‘viv” what is your favorite food from this group, how do you enjoy eating it?
For me I love Akra (Accra) which is an appetizer (fritters) made with Malanga.
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