Traveling to Petit-Goâve, the Dous Makos (Sweet) Heart of Haiti
Most every country has a sweet spot. I’m referring to the village/area where the best desserts originated, are produced, or are sold. In Haiti, that place is Petit-Goâve. The sweet treat that makes the place famous: dous makos.
I’d never heard of dous makos when I visited Petit-Goâve in March 2017. I had, however, certainly seen and tried these treats before. It’s actually hard to visit Haiti and not get a taste of dous makos. They’re that cherished and beloved.
What is Dous Makos?
Dous makos (also douce macoss) is a milk-based Haitian fudge. It’s distinguished by three layers, each one bearing a distinct color. Traditional colors/layers are beige (vanilla), brown (chocolate), and pink/red (food coloring).
As essential and ingrained a part of the authentic Haitian culinary aesthetic as dous makos are, though, they’re not altogether 100% Haitian.
Spanish-inspired Belgian Origins
The roots of douce macoss extend back to 1939 Petit-Goâve. More specifically, they extend to a Belgian-Haitian man named Fernand Macos (aka: Ferdinand Makos).
Editor’s note: Dous makos literally translates to “sweet makos,” an homage to the dessert’s creator.
Monsieur Makos, as the story goes, drew inspiration for his distinctive fudge from turrón, a centuries-old Spanish/Mediterranean nougat confection. Whereas turrón is primarily made with almonds, though, Makos’ creation is more dynamic. Peanut butter, cinnamon, almond, anise, and even rum flavors are all common.
You can find dous makos all over Haiti. Hotels and restaurants, grocery stores, cafes, roadside vendors…
At the same time, though, there’s only one best place to get them.
Madame Dauphin: Dous Makos Mecca
I stumbled into Mme Dauphin’s after a FULL day of adventuring in/around Bananier Beach. You can be sure that I was EXHAUSTED. The hour+ drive back to Port-au-Prince that lay before us wasn’t helping either. Stopping in at Madame Dauphin’s, though, picked me right back up.
The sugar rush that I got here was only made sweeter by the fact that the Madame Dauphin herself just happened to be there when we arrived.
There’s just something extra amazing about meeting/seeing the person behind a beloved treat in the space where the legend began. These special meetings, especially flavorful ones like this, are what I miss most about traveling around Haiti. Here’s hoping that the prevailing unrest ends soon so that we can all experience the best of this magical place again soon.
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