Soup joumou
Soup joumou
Alternative namesSoupe au giraumon
TypeSoup
Place of originHaiti
Main ingredientsSquash, beef, potatoes, vegetables
Joumou soup
CountryHaiti
Reference01853
RegionLatin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription2021 (16th session)
ListRepresentative

Soup joumou (/dʒuːmuː/; French: soupe au giraumon) is a soup native to Haitian cuisine. In 2021, soup joumou was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The soup is traditionally cooked with winter squashes such as the turban squash. The squash slices are simmered in a saucepan along with pieces of beef and soup bones, potato, and vegetables such as malanga, leeks, celery, radishes, carrots, green cabbage, habanero pepper and onions. The squash is then puréed, usually in a food processor, with water and the purée is returned to the saucepan. Salt and seasoning along with lime juice, garlic, parsley and other herbs and spices are then added. Some Haitians add thin pasta such as vermicelli and macaroni and a small amount of butter or oil.[1][2] The soup is always served hot and is usually accompanied with sliced bread which is dipped in the soup.[3][4][5]

Social connotations

Soup joumou commemorates Haiti's liberation from French colonial rule on January 1, 1804. During slavery, only French colonial masters and plantation owners were allowed to enjoy the delicacy, which was prepared by slaves.[6][7] After the revolution, the free Haitians were finally able to eat the soup and it came to represent freedom, emancipation and independence.[8] On January 1, Haitians both at home and in the diaspora eat this soup to celebrate the first successful slave rebellion that transferred political power to its freed slave majority.[4][9]

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. It was Haiti’s first inclusion on the list.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ^ Jacob, Jeanne; Ashkenazi, Michael (2014-01-15). The World Cookbook: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe, 2nd Edition [4 Volumes]: The Greatest Recipes from Around the Globe. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-61069-469-8.
  2. ^ "Soup Joumou Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  3. ^ "Soupe Joumou (Haitian Pumpkin Soup)". Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Soup Joumou - the taste of freedom · Visit Haiti". Visit Haiti. 2018-12-02. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  5. ^ Green, Nadege. "Soup Joumou: A Haitian New Year Tradition, A Reminder Of A Slave Led Revolution". www.wlrn.org. Retrieved 2019-12-12.
  6. ^ Chrisphonte, Jenna. "Soupe joumou, a symbol of freedom and hope, is a New Year's Day tradition for Haitians everywhere". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  7. ^ Trouillot, Lyonel (2022-01-01). "Haiti's New Year's Day soup has made headlines. But let's not be naive about its symbolism". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  8. ^ University, Tracey Nicholls, Soka (2012-03-09). An Ethics of Improvisation: Aesthetic Possibilities for a Political Future. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-7365-7.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ "Haiti's traditional joumou soup: a tasty reminder of freedom". France 24. 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
  10. ^ Press, ed. (16 December 2021). "43 elements inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage lists". UNESCO. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  11. ^ Dehghan, Saeed Kamali (December 17, 2021). "Culture in a bowl: Haiti's joumou soup awarded protected status by Unesco". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.

External links

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