Haitian Freedom Soup

Soup joumou (pronounced joo-moo) is also known as Haitian Freedom Soup.

Freedom Soup is traditionally eatten in Haitian households on New Year's Day (January 1st) in remembrance of their struggle for Liberty [Libčte] and in commemoration of the Haitian Independence Day, which is also on January 1st. On January 1, 1804, Haiti established the first black republic in the Western hemisphere. Haitians are proud of their history.

Acorrding to one story, this soup was served on Sunday, January 1, 1804. The tantalizing scent of soup joumou simmering in kettles filled the the air, as Jean-Jacques Dessalines mounted the Autel de la Patrie at the "Place d’Armes de Gonaives" and said to those assembled, "Liberte ou la Mort!" Cannons were fired, church bells rung, and people cheered. Soup joumou was ladled into bowls and everyone there shared in this Soup of Freedom.

Soup joumou is also called "Haitian pumpkin soup." Soup joumou traditionally consists of beef, carrots, green cabbage, cubed potatoes, celery, onions, and spaghetti noodles as ingredients. It also contained the key ingredient refered to as "Haitian pumpkin." Apparently while under the yoke of French Colonial rule, Haitians were forbidden to eat such an extravagant meal comprised of pumpkin, beef stock, and other vegetables. What folks call "pumpkin" in the USA is not exactly the same as what folks call "pumpkin" in the Caribbean. The Haitian pumpkin is Cucurbita moschata, also known as "Caribbean pumpkin," "green pumpkin," "winter squash," "Cuban squash," "West Indian pumpkin," or "calabaza squash." The Haitian pumpkin is a green colored pumpkin. In the USA, Cucurbita moschata is sometimes refered to as a "culinary pumpkin" or "pie pumpkin."

NOTE: Those big orange colored things (either a Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita maxima) which we call "pumpkins" in the USA are also called "field pumpkins," "Jack o'Lantern pumpkins," or "decorative pumpkins." They have been bred to be smooth and large, and they are considered by many American cooks to be too stringy and watery for cooking. I have never made this recipe, but I advise anyone making it to not substitute a "field pumpkin" for a "Haitian pumpkin."

Soup Joumou (pronounced joo-moo)

Minutes to Prepare: 30
Minutes to Cook: 150
Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients:

Beef marinate made by crushing 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon pepper, shallot and 2 sliced scallions and 2 teaspoons of salt

Directions:
  1. Peel, de-seed, and chop the Haitian pumpkin into large sections, In a medium pot, cook pumpkin over medium heat in 6 cups water for 30 minutes. While Haitian pumpkin is cooking, clean meat with lime, rinse with hot water and drain. Marinate meat with meat rub. Rub the meat with the spice paste-scallions, onion, thyme, garlic, shallot, green pepper, salt and black pepper ground together. (For an enhanced flavor, you can marinate the meat from 1 hour up to one day in advance .)
  2. In stockpot, add the meat with the oil and tomato paste and brown by adding small amounts of water to caremelize the meat. Cook covered over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add 3 cups water and pureed Haitian pumpkin and bring to a boil. [The cooked pumpkin can be pureed in a food processor.]
  3. Add the cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, turnips, tomato sauce, potato and parsely to the soup, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour with a whole scotch bonnet on top. (The whole scotch bonnet is for flavoring not to make the soup "hot." Remember to find and remove the pepper as you stir the soup and remove it before it bursts.)
  4. Add the spaghetti broken in to short pieces and cook until soft and tender.
  5. Taste and add a minimal ammount of salt, black pepper, or hot pepper to taste.
  6. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit until ready to serve.
Makes 10 1-cup servings.

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe from "MADANPAS." See link below.

January 2, 2014, Myth Woodling. Recipes cannot be copyrighted and this is not a dish I have ever prepared. My date here simply marked when I assembled this information together.

Sources:

Junior Max Destine, Independence Day in Haiti: Celebration of Freedom 2002, accessed January 2, 2014.

MADANPAS, Haitian Pumpkin Soup - Soup Joumou (pronounced joo-moo), accessed January 2, 2014. With humble apologies, I have altered the reference to "pumpkin" to "Haitian pumpkin." My goal is to make Americans aware that the "Haitian pumpkin" Cucurbita moschata is NOT a field pumpkin or a Jack o'Lantern pumpkin, (Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita maxima). I speak from experience on other dishes, you do not want to mix up the "pumpkins."

Sak Pase Diplomacy, How to Make Soup Joumou (Haitian Pumpkin Soup) , September 11, 2011, accessed January 2, 2014.

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