Name: Diri Djon Djon
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Haitian
Ingredients: 1 oz dried djon djon mushrooms (or black trumpet mushrooms as substitute); 2 cups long-grain white rice; 1/2 lb fresh shrimp, peeled; 1/2 cup lima beans (fresh or frozen); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 small onion, diced; 1/4 cup green onions, chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp fresh thyme; 1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced (or to taste); 2 whole cloves; Salt and pepper to taste; 2.5 cups mushroom soaking water (reserved)

Haitian black mushroom rice — a fragrant, coal-dark pilaf made with a rare mushroom found only in Haiti's north.

The Cultural Story

Djon djon mushrooms grow only in the northern mountains of Haiti. They are small, black, and unremarkable to look at, but soaked in water they release a dramatic black dye and an earthy, truffle-like aroma that transforms rice into something entirely otherworldly. This dish is Haiti's luxury dish — served at weddings, christenings, and special celebrations. The mushrooms are so prized that the Haitian diaspora imports them from home, paying premium prices for that connection to the north. When a Haitian parent wants to honor a guest or celebrate a milestone, they make diri djon djon. The black color, the aroma, the coastal shrimp on top — it is celebration on a plate.

Ingredients

1 oz dried djon djon mushrooms (or black trumpet mushrooms as substitute)
2 cups long-grain white rice
1/2 lb fresh shrimp, peeled
1/2 cup lima beans (fresh or frozen)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 Scotch bonnet pepper, minced (or to taste)
2 whole cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
2.5 cups mushroom soaking water (reserved)

Instructions

1Soak djon djon mushrooms in 3 cups of hot water for 20 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid — it will be intensely black. Discard the mushrooms (they are used for their dye and flavor, not texture).
2Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add green onions, thyme, scotch bonnet, and cloves. Cook 2 minutes.
3Add shrimp and cook until just pink, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and set aside.
4Add rice to the pot and stir to coat with aromatics. Toast for 1 minute.
5Pour in the black mushroom water (2.5 cups). Add lima beans. The liquid will be deep black — this is correct.
6Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to lowest heat. Cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Add shrimp back on top in the last 5 minutes. The rice will be dramatically dark and fragrant.

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