Soup Joumou Recipe

On the first of January every year, Haitians celebrate both New Year’s Day, and the anniversary of Haitian Independence. The occasion is marked by serving a squash soup known as Soup Joumou that is made in large batches and shared among friends and family. Made from a variety of squash called the “giraumon” or “French turban”, the soup promotes social cohesion, as the preparation of ingredients is a community effort where even children are involved, and because the soup is served to everyone.

According to local lore, this dish was prepared by enslaved Haitians for their masters during French Colonial control, but they were not allowed to eat it as they were deemed too uncivilized. That changed on January 1st 1804 however, when the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Heureuse Félicité began the practice of distributing the soup across the newly independent country.

Some years earlier, during the siege of Jacmel in 1800, Félicité convinced Jean-Jacques Dessalines to open a road into the city. Jacmel was surrounded by the troops of Toussaint Louverture to the north, while also blockaded by the United States Navy, and residents had little access to food or medicine. When the road into the city was opened, Félicité led a procession into Jacmel and arranged for food to be cooked in the streets. A hearty soup proved to be perfect, as it could be easily made in large batches, and it could be fed to the wounded and the weak.

When Napoleon’s troops were finally repelled and Haiti declared Independence on the first day in 1804, Félicité spent the first week of January distributing Soup Joumou across the island, and ultimately started a tradition that is now included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The soup served as a powerful symbol, as it could be made from lesser cuts of meat, tropical tubers, and other humble ingredients, but it was also a luxury dish that was formerly forbidden. It also demonstrated that everyone could make a contribution to the dish, and that everyone could eat from the same pot.

Today, Haitians enjoy Soup Joumou on New Year’s Day, and on the second day of the year, which is a national holiday called Ancestry Day.

Meat;

Beef stew 1 pack

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup vinegar

Let this soak for 30 minutes

Rinse and add hot water

1 tablespoon Haitian Epis

Let this sit 45 minutes, but it is best to marinate overnight

1 tablespoon oil

Let the meat stir fry for 3- to 5 minutes than add in 3 cups water

Simmer for 40 – 45 minutes medium -low until it is tender