Soup Joumou (; , lit. ‘pumpkin soup’) is a
soup
Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot – though it is sometimes served chilled – made by cooking or otherwise combining meat or vegetables with Stock (food), stock, milk, or water. According to ''The Oxford Compan ...
native to
Haitian cuisine
Haitian cuisine is a Creole cuisine that originates from a blend of several culinary styles that populated the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, namely African, French, indigenous Taíno, Spanish, and Arab influences. Haitian cuisin ...
made from squash, beef, and a mix of vegetables and spices. This hearty soup is not only a culinary delight but also a symbol of Haitian independence, traditionally consumed on January 1st to celebrate the country's liberation from French colonial rule in 1804. The dish is renowned for its rich, comforting flavor and vibrant color, making it a beloved staple in Haitian cuisine. While the main ingredients typically include squash, beef, and vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and turnips, variations exist, adding to its widespread appeal and regional adaptations.
Background and historical significance
The dish gets its name ‘pumpkin soup’ from the main ingredient squash. When Haiti was colonized by France in the 1600s and 1700s, enslaved Africans were forced to cultivate the squash that forms the base of the beef soup known as joumou, which means squash or pumpkin in Creole. Due to trade practices, pumpkin was shipped abroad or consumed by the property owning landed class, the African and Indigenous Haitian population toiling on plantations were forbidden from eating it themselves. When the Haitian Revolution ended with
Haiti's liberation from French colonial rule on Jan. 1, 1804, Haitians celebrated by consuming soup joumou all day, relishing the taste of freedom. Haitians both at home and in the
diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...
eat this soup to celebrate the first successful slave rebellion that transferred political power to its freed slave majority.
Once the soup is ready, it’s typically eaten as breakfast, lunch, and dinner on New Year’s Day and consumed into the next day as part of
Ancestry Day a holiday honoring Haitian revolutionaries on January 2.
Preparation
The soup is traditionally cooked with
winter squashes such as the
turban squash
Turban squash, also known as "Turk's turban" or "French turban" (''"Giraumon"'' in French), is a type of squash most often used as a winter squash. It is an heirloom, predating 1820. A cultivar of ''Cucurbita maxima'', it is closely related to ...
. The meat is marinated and simmered in a saucepan until tender while the squash is cooked, and pureed, often using a blender or food processor, to create a smooth, thick consistency. This pureed squash is then added to the simmering broth and meat mixture along with pieces of
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...
and soup bones,
potato
The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...
, and
vegetables
Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including flowers, fruits, ...
such as
malanga,
leeks
A leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a "stem" or "stalk".
The genus '' ...
,
celery
Celery (''Apium graveolens'' Dulce Group or ''Apium graveolens'' var. ''dulce'') is a cultivated plant belonging to the species ''Apium graveolens'' in the family Apiaceae that has been used as a vegetable since ancient times.
The original wild ...
,
radishes,
carrots
The carrot (''Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the Daucus ...
,
green cabbage,
habanero pepper
The habanero (; ) is a Pungency, pungent cultivar of ''Capsicum chinense'' chili pepper. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yello ...
and
onions
An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified ...
.
Epis,
salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
, and
seasoning
Seasoning is the process of supplementing food via herbs, spices, and/or salts, intended to enhance a particular flavour.
General meaning
Seasonings include herbs and spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings". Salt may ...
along with lime juice,
garlic
Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...
,
parsley
Parsley, or garden parsley (''Petroselinum crispum''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae that is native to Greece, Morocco and the former Yugoslavia. It has been introduced and naturalisation (biology), naturalized in Eur ...
and other
herbs
Herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnish (food), garnishing food, for medicinal purposes, or for fragrances. Culinary use typi ...
and
spices
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
are then added. Some Haitians add thin
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an Leavening agent, unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or Eggs as food, eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally on ...
such as
vermicelli
Vermicelli (, ; , literally "little worms"), is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In Anglosphere, English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is thicker. It is typically made ...
and
macaroni
Macaroni (), known in Italian as ''maccheroni'', is a pasta shaped like narrow tubes.Oxford DictionaryMacaroni/ref> Made with durum wheat, macaroni is commonly cut in short lengths; curved macaroni may be referred to as "elbow macaroni". Some ...
and a small amount of
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...
or oil. The soup is always served hot and is usually accompanied by sliced French bread which is dipped in the soup.
UNESCO recognition
In December 2021, Haiti obtained official recognition for the knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the consumption of soup joumou on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
. It was Haiti’s first inclusion on the list.
[
]
See also
*
List of soups
This is a list of notable soups. Soups have been made since ancient times.
Some soups are served with large chunks of meat or vegetables left in the liquid, while others are served as a broth. A broth is a flavored liquid usually derived from ...
*
List of squash and pumpkin dishes
This is a list of notable squash and pumpkin dishes that are prepared using Cucurbita, squash and pumpkin as a primary ingredient. Pumpkin is a squash cultivar.
Squash and pumpkin dishes and foods
* ''Hobak-juk'' – a Korean variety of ''juk ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Mini-documentary about soup joumou(PBS, 2023)
*https://www.foodandwine.com/soup-joumou-7096031
*
*https://www.npr.org/2021/12/18/1065477169/haitian-soup-joumou-awarded-protected-cultural-heritage-status-by-unesco
*https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/haitis-beloved-soup-joumou-serves-up-freedom-in-every-bowl-180981378/
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Haitian soups
Squash and pumpkin dishes