Tchaka or Chaka is a Haitian stew made from

hominy Hominy (Spanish: maíz molido; literally meaning "milled corn") is a food produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization ( is the Nahuatl word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a ...

beans A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes t ...

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus '' Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes u ...

(''joumou''), and meat (usually

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved ...

). It is used as an offering to the

loa ( ), also called loa or loi, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerate ...

Haitian Vodou Haitian Vodou is an African diasporic religion that developed in Haiti between the 16th and 19th centuries. It arose through a process of syncretism between several traditional religions of West and Central Africa and Roman Catholicism. There is ...

. The nutritious soup is also associated with festivities and family time.

Background

Other names for the dish are tyaka, chaka, or tiaka depending on the region. Typical of

Haitian cuisine Haitian cuisine consists of cooking traditions and practices from Haiti. It is a Creole cuisine that originates from a blend of several culinary styles that populated the western portion of the island of Hispaniola, namely the African, French, ...

, this dish has influences of many different cultures.

Ingredients

The recipe is usually made with salted and smoked pork which imparts a great deal of flavor. This pork is from where most of the flavor comes. The parts of the pig that are used is traditionally the trotter,

bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sa ...

shoulder The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...

, palette, or

loin The loins, or lumbus, are the sides between the lower ribs and pelvis, and the lower part of the back. The term is used to describe the anatomy of humans and quadrupeds, such as horses, pigs, or cattle. The anatomical reference also applies to ...

. Various beans can be used, including

pinto Pinto is a Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all Portuguese-speaking countries and is also widely present in Spanish-speaking countries, Italy, India especially in Mangalore, Kar ...

, red kidney, small red, and dark red. Dried corn is used, where it can increase fourfold in volume when boiled in water.

Preparation

Tchaka is relatively simple to make. However, it often requires several hours of preparation to allow flavors to develop and incorporate throughout the soup. Unlike other soups where the ingredients are prepared in the same pot, for tchaka, the ingredients are usually cooked separately before being combined. This is because the different ingredients have different cooking times. The red beans and corn are soaked for several hours. The pork is boiled then grilled in oil. Then the beans, corn, and meat are combined and simmered at low heat for about two hours. The tchaka is simmered to the desired consistency which is usually on the thicker side. Some add pumpkin to the tchaka, where a cooked piece of pumpkin is pureed and added to the other ingredients before simmering. The stew is served hot. It is sometimes served with a

pickle Pickle may refer to: * Pickle, a pickled cucumber in the United States and Canada * Pickle, a sweet, vinegary pickled chutney popular in Great Britain, such as Branston Pickle, also known as "sweet pickle" or "ploughman's pickle" * South Asian pi ...

on the side.

Variations

Several other local variations exist which use

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quant ...

mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Ge ...

, or crab instead of pork. Some recipes use

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...

which provides a creamy consistency. Some recipes use

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

yam Yam or YAM may refer to: Plants and foods *Yam (vegetable), common name for members of ''Dioscorea'' * Taro, known in Malaysia and Singapore as yam * Sweet potato, specifically its orange-fleshed cultivars, often referred to as yams in North Amer ...

, or malanga.

Culture and traditions

Tchaka is usually served during special occasions because it requires a relatively long time to prepare. For example, it can be served during family gatherings. It can also be served on

November 1 Events Pre-1600 *365 – The Alemanni cross the Rhine and invade Gaul. Emperor Valentinian I moves to Paris to command the army and defend the Gallic cities. * 996 – Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, ...

for

All Saints’ Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are kno ...

, on

May 1 Events Pre-1600 * 305 – Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman emperor. * 880 – The Nea Ekklesia is inaugurated in Constantinople, setting the model for all later cross-in-square Orthodox churches. *1169 &ndas ...

for Labor Day to honor Azakah Medeh, the loa of

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most lab ...

and

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

. In Haitian Vodou, tchaka was the favorite dish of this loa. Tchaka was mentioned in a song by Haitian musician, Sydney Guillaume, when he wrote: “” (“Light the fire! We will eat tchaka! Light the fire, mix the corn, don’t forget the salted pork, we will eat a delicious tchaka, we will cook an incredible stew”). Haitians oftentimes cook tchaka during school vacations since it is protein-rich and thought to help with children's growth.

References