NEW YORK — Pierrelande and Marie Saint Cyr grew up immersed in Caribbean flavors, but not often discovered the snacks they liked on U.S. retailer cabinets. When their mother-in-law started packing suitcases filled with Haitian treats to carry again from journeys house, the sisters noticed a possibility: carry these recipes to market themselves.
That concept grew to become NouBon, a small-batch Caribbean-inspired snack and nut butter model launched in New York on June 3, 2026, by the 2 Haitian American sisters. The identify, Haitian Creole for “We Are Good,” displays the satisfaction behind the model’s debut lineup, that includes three craft peanut butters impressed by manba, Haiti’s beloved spiced peanut butter, alongside snack luggage constructed round Caribbean road confections like coconut clusters and dous makos.
The Haitian Instances spoke with Pierrelande Saint Cyr in regards to the hole she and her sister recognized within the specialty meals market and what it means to introduce Caribbean pantry staples to a wider American viewers.
The Haitian Instances: What first impressed you and your sister Marie to show household recipes right into a snack model?
Pierrelande Saint Cyr: Marie and I grew up immersed in Caribbean meals and flavors, but we not often noticed the snacks we liked on mainstream U.S. cabinets. We regularly needed to wait till we visited Haiti to take pleasure in a few of our favourite snacks. Sadly, our mom couldn’t afford to take us yearly, so we typically went years with out them. We noticed a possibility to attract on the recipes and traditions we grew up with and make these snacks extra accessible.
My mother-in-law was the principle inspiration behind NouBon. Once I visited my husband in Haiti, she would pack a complete suitcase with my favourite snacks for me to carry house. I might return to the U.S. and share them with everybody I knew, and other people all the time liked them. When she got here to the U.S. in 2023, we realized we may make and promote these merchandise right here. We already knew there was a spot available in the market. We may stroll into nearly any grocery retailer and discover meals representing many cultures, however Caribbean snacks have been nonetheless largely lacking. We knew how good these merchandise have been and believed that they had potential far past the Caribbean group. That was the spark that led us to create NouBon.
THT: Which Caribbean pantry staples or flavors have been you most decided to carry to U.S. cabinets, and why?
Saint Cyr: I used to be particularly decided to carry spicy Haitian peanut butter, often known as manba, and dous makos to U.S. cabinets. I wished NouBon to supply a product that felt distinctly Haitian, which is why spicy peanut butter was so vital to me.
After we lived in Arcahaie [a town about 30 miles north of Port-au-Prince], dous makos was very troublesome to seek out in our space. Each time I returned to Haiti, I might ask if somebody may discover it for me, however there have been typically no sellers close by. Even after going years with out consuming it, I may nonetheless keep in mind precisely the way it tasted. That reminiscence stayed with me, so I started experimenting till I perfected our model.
Peanuts, coconut, and ginger have been additionally vital to us as a result of they’re utilized in so some ways throughout Caribbean meals traditions. We wished to protect what makes these substances and flavors distinctive whereas presenting them in a manner that feels prepared for right this moment’s retail cabinets.
THT: What has the response been like from the Haitian and broader Caribbean group since launching?
Saint Cyr: The response has been very encouraging. For a lot of Haitian and Caribbean clients, discovering NouBon evokes recognition and satisfaction as a result of they see acquainted flavors offered in a brand new manner.
We particularly love when individuals from different Caribbean islands strive our merchandise and instantly acknowledge them as a model of what they grew up consuming again house. It reminds us that though the names and recipes might range from island to island, lots of our meals traditions are related.
Some clients are excited to share our merchandise with pals, coworkers, or kids who might not have grown up with the identical meals. We have now additionally acquired an ideal response from individuals exterior the Caribbean group who’re experiencing these flavors for the primary time. That’s precisely what we hoped NouBon would create: illustration for many who know the merchandise and discovery for many who don’t.
THT: What’s been the largest problem in constructing a snack model from scratch, and the way have you ever addressed it?
Saint Cyr: One of many greatest challenges has been constructing inside a class that many patrons and clients are nonetheless studying about. We’re not solely introducing a brand new model. In lots of circumstances, we’re additionally introducing individuals to a completely new product or taste expertise. Meaning we’ve got to take a position closely in sampling, schooling, and storytelling.
There may be additionally the operational aspect of scaling a meals firm, together with manufacturing, packaging,
shelf life, distribution, and turning into retail-ready. We have now navigated these challenges by repeatedly studying, listening to suggestions, and taking every stage of development critically. We could also be
constructing NouBon from scratch, however we’re constructing it with a long-term imaginative and prescient.
THT: How do you stability staying true to conventional recipes whereas adapting them for a broader U.S. viewers?
Saint Cyr: We start by figuring out what makes every product particular and defending these qualities. We don’t need to take away the flavors that give a product its identification merely to make it really feel extra acquainted. As a substitute, we deal with packaging, portion sizes, consistency, and clear product descriptions to make the general expertise simpler for a broader viewers to grasp and luxuriate in.
Our objective is to not water down Caribbean flavors however to present extra individuals the chance to expertise and respect them.
The put up Two Haitian sisters flip household recipes right into a Caribbean snack model appeared first on The Haitian Instances.