Soup joumou is a culturally symbolic Haitian dish. It is a savory, orange-tinted soup that typically consists of calabaza squash—a pumpkin-like squash native to the Caribbean—that’s cooked and blended as the soup’s base. To that base, which  beef, carrots, cabbage, noodles, potatoes and other fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, it is served traditionally on January 1st to honor Haitian Independence Day. It dates back to the time of slaves, who were not able to eat the soup that was regularly eaten by their owners - a French inspired recipe. But, shortly after gaining independence from France in 1804, Haitians started making soup joumou as a symbol of their freedom/ resilience. The story of the soup joumou inscribes Haitian resistance and resilience. This soup is an assertion of resistance to the nature and wrath of their harsh slavery this celebrates there hard-won independence. It is what they eat during the good times with family and friends and when life leaves nothing else to be thankful for it remains one constant reminder that you have made due in more difficult circumstances before so things will get better all while keeping the tradition alive because if no other dish was passed down through time every bowl of soup joumou tells a story. To this day, soup joumou remains an important part of Haitian culture and tradition at large family gatherings as communities come together to honor the history that is theirs.

– Cassandra Higgs

Relationship:  Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more Great-grandchild of im/migrant or more