Every New Year’s Day, most houses in Haiti are filled with the savory scent of Joumou, a pumpkin soup native to the Caribbean country.
Otherwise known as the squash soup, the traditional meal is made on New Year’s Day to celebrate Haiti’s independence from France on January 1, 1804.
The independence came after the Haitian Revolution that is now considered the largest and most successful slave rebellion in the Western Hemisphere.
It is against such events and many others that have made Haiti a country full of cultural and historical wealth and a favorite destination for many.
Its food is also one of the best ways to connect with the country’s culture, and the New Year’s Day joumou is one of such foods.
Even though recipes for the squash soup tend to vary from home to home, joumou is mostly made with puréed pumpkin alongside meat, rice, pasta, vegetables, and broth.
Here’s a simple and quick way to prepare the traditional dish, right at the comfort of your home:
