By: Ford Pierre + Diana Pierre-Louis
What is the cultural importance of soup joumou? All Haitians know the Soup Joumou and all Haitians consume Soup Joumou, but how many know its history and origins? Let's discover the story behind this mythical dish made from giraumon (a variety of pumpkin, found in the West Indies) and why it is traditionally eaten on January 1st. There are often multiple versions of the origins of different types of soup. And when we talk about the origins of Soup Joumou in Haiti, two versions are often spoken of. A colonial antecedent for Soup Joumou First of all, the first suggests that Soup Joumou existed long before Haiti's independence, that is to say since the time of the colony. But its consumption was only reserved for wealthy settlers at the time. The slaves were prohibited from consuming the soup. It was not until the proclamation of Haiti's independence on January 1, 1804, with the authorization of Dessalines' wife (Marie Claire Heureuse) that Haitians began to consume Soup Joumou throughout the country. The objective was to show the whole world, more precisely to France, that Haiti had become a free and independent state. A national invention for Soup Joumou The second version tells that the Soup Joumou is from the invention of Marie Claire Heureuse. When her husband, General Jean Jacques Dessalines was preparing to deliver his speech for the occasion in the city of Gonaïves on January 1, 1804, she wanted to offer a nutritious food that would allow the newly free to resist shortages and other consequences of the war. She therefore proposed Joumou soup because it corresponded to all of these criteria. This soup could help the peasants to remain powerful in the face of hunger for almost 15 days. Previously, Claire Heureuse used Joumou to treat tuberculosis patients at the time. It was after discovering the virtues of this plant that she decided to create the soup. It is therefore from this moment that Joumou soup entered the Haitian tradition. A world heritage for Soup Joumou About two centuries later, the symbolism of the Soup Joumou continues to mark Haitian territory. Every January 1, almost all Haitian families consume the soup. It is a tradition to remember and remind the world that Haiti is the first free black nation. And thanks to the considerable efforts of several patriots, in 2021 it entered the world heritage of UNESCO. It all started in March 2021 when Haiti submitted the candidature of Soup Joumou, to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for registration among the Intangible Cultural Heritages (ICH) of humanity. A few months later, during its 16th intergovernmental session on Thursday, December 16, 2021, UNESCO adopted the inscription of the traditional Haitian "Soup joumou" on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It is the first meal shared by humanity's first black nation. Every January 1, families and friends in Haiti and abroad travel around to different family and friends houses to enjoy the soup together. Although the ingredients remain mostly the same, each person's flavors can vary depending on which recipe they learned from or which recipe they follow. Luckily with the Internet, there are a plethora of recipes to choose from and I guarantee any will be tasty! I always follow the ingredients list and recipe for Soup Joumou out of our book Freedom Soup by by Tami Charles (Author), Jacqueline Alcántara (Illustrator). It's so easy to follow and simplifies the whole process which includes a long list of ingredients and steps.
Cooking essentials for Soup Joumou
Below is a video in Haitian Creole on how to cook Soup Joumou
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 Photo Credit: The Real Haiti By: Derline Pierre-Louis, Guest Blogger Reading about sauce pwa congo took me back to living at home with mom. Sunday after church, the table would display two or three whole fish, fried or cooked in sauce, a fresh cooked beet, watercress, fresh cooked carrot salad, a glass bowl of white rice, which can be eaten on its own, sauce pwa congo with coconut milk-depending if we were having guests and they did not eat coconut milk in their sauce pwa and of course juice made from either corosol, papaya, or mango or limes to name a few.  All from her garden in the backyard or bought from a Haitian or Latin market. The food was tasty, of course, but fresh, not from a can. You know how long it take to cook fresh pwa congo from the tree or dried pwa congo from a bag? Thank you for this trip back to salivating memory taste bud trip. Pwa congo is pigeon peas. Green peas is pwa france or pwa vet. Pwa france/vet is sweet so we'd soak it in salt water to reduce the sweetness, and it can make it's own sauce or is sometimes mixed with pwa congo because pwa congo is more expensive, so to stretch it, green peas would be added. However, when cooking pwa france/vet with rice, it doesn't need to be soaked in salt water, as the water cooking the peas and rice has salt and that reduces the sweetness. It's the same concept with Lalo and spinach. Lalo is a different green from spinach and has a different texture and preparing it can be tricky. If not cooked properly, it can become slimmy like overcooked okra (kalaloo). People form L'Artibonite are experts in this dish. When you see Lalo sold in restaurants, it is usually mixed with spinach, to stretch it. It's not commonly found in the markets and are imported from Haiti. This information varies slightly or drastically depending on which part of Haiti you're from. What is your favorite Sunday food memory in Haiti?   By: Ford Pierre
Haitian sweet treats are not only delicious, they are beautifully crafted with rich historical meaning behind them. With it's popularity in Haiti and abroad, many love the Haitian fudge candy dous makòs. If you've been lucky enough to taste the delicious Haitian dessert "dous makòs", I bet you haven't thought about how this magic formula originated. Typically, we don't think about the stories behind food, but they are so important, especially in the Haitian culture for preserving the authentic gastronomy. Today we will explore together one of the tastiest Haitian products, the "dous makòs". The Origin Of Dous Makòs This rectangular-shaped multicolored candy, made mainly from milk and sugar, is part of the food heritage and marks the identity of the city of Petit-Goâve. "Dous makòs" is a specialty of the city of Faustin Soulouque (Emperor of the Republic of Haiti between 1847 and 1859, under the name of Faustin 1st), this commune, located 68 km south of Port-au-Prince, in the western department. The natives of Petit-Goâve attach so much importance to their product that even a carnaval celebration bears its name "Kanaval Dous Makòs la". Historical Reference For Dous Makòs According to what the story tells, the "dous makòs" was created in the 1930s by Mrs. Macoss. This oral history tale turned a corner when in 1939, Mrs. Fernand Labarre, an employee in Madame Macoss's factory, took over the activities of her late boss by marketing the multicolored candy under the name "La Douce de Madame Macoss" hence the name "Dous Makòs". In fact, the creation of this fabulous dessert is attributed to Mrs. Macoss. Dous Makòs Ingredients And Recipe The formula has been carefully learned and transmitted over the years by the Labarre family; they consider it a family recipe. The candy fudge can be found for sale in all areas of Haiti. It's a staple item to bring as gifts to family and friends, especially when visiting from Haiti. There are three types of "dous makòs" depending on the milk used for a rich range of flavor such as chocolate etc. This candy is striped with five color layers, two of which are pink and brown. It is generally pink in color, this color is obtained by diluting pink cochineal powder in ordinary alcohol or clairin (Haitian Creole for drinking alcohol).
Today, even if it is a pioneer in the field, the exclusivity of the dous makòs brand is not attributed to the Labarre family because there are other workshops in Petit-Goâve and in neighboring regions which produce it. The delicious "dous makòs" is one of those products that have made a special place for themselves in Haitian gastronomy. If you're looking for dous makòs for sale, check out Bon Bon Lakay to purchase online! Let us know in the comments if you've tried dous makòs and what you thought of it!  Photo source unknown By: Ford Pierre Have you ever heard of or tasted Haitian "Konparèt"? This famous succulent candy is rich in vitamin B6 is renowned for its originality. This Haitian treat that looks like a cake and tastes delicious! Origins of Haitian Treat Konparèt The "Konparèt" comes from Jérémie, the capital of the department of Grande-Anse in Haiti. This resplendent city, known for its poetry, because it is the city of poets and for the originality of its gastronomy that makes you drool. Speaking of its gastronomy, all Haitians know that "Tonm-Tonm" and "Konparèt" are emblematic figures in the field. In other words, Jérémie is the capital of "Konparèt" in Haiti and the natives are very proud of their products. But what is paradoxical is that they do not really consume it, because the majority of "Konparèt" are exported through other regions of the country and sometimes even abroad. However, many other parts of the country produce "Konparèt", but in terms of quality and quantity, the city of Jérémie is the best producer. When we talk about this magical product, people wonder what is its recipe is or where the formula comes from. According to legend, the magic formula of "Konparèt'' came from a Martinican who during her stay in Jérémie would have taught Grann Louqui (Grandma Louqi) how to prepare the recipe. And since then, the succulent candy sprung up in Jérémie with the name "Konparèt". Preparation and Indulgence of Haitian Konparèt To prepare the "Konparèt", certain ingredients are very important. Flour, milk, cinnamon, banana fig, sugar cane, ginger or even coconut are the essential elements that constitute it. Once all of these ingredients are put together, it will create a paste and after the paste goes in the oven, the "Konparèt" is ready to be consumed. However, it can be consumed in different ways, either with cheese, milk, "Manba" (peanut butter) or even avocado! Check out this recipe if you're brave enough to make it! Or follow this Pinterest board to save for later.  More Haitian Sweet Treats: Tablet Pistach, Tablet Cocoye and Douce Manba. Let us know in the comments what your favorite Haitian dessert is.
Today we were making soup joumou for Haitian Independence Day and my husband said, babe, did you get the yam?! I said, yes, I got all of the 9,000 ingredients for the soup! After many years of preparing soup joumou with him, I still in fact forgot the yam he was talking about. It's the one in the pic to the left after he went to get it from the store if you're wondering.
The point of this isn't to make fun of myself to you, but to wish you a Happy Haitian Independence Day and a Happy New Year! As we all faced many challenges in 2020, there is always hope for better days ahead. I had all intensions of posting a recipe along with beautifully curated pictures, but there are so many amazing soup joumou recipes online that I collected for you here. I hope you're enjoying your day with family, eating soup and relaxing! Tag us in your soup pics on social media! Here's the one we made...
“The Comfort of Receiving Goodies from a Haitian Mother” by Shaina Louis, Manman Kiskeya Shaina is an intelligent young woman who has a natural entrepreneurial spirit. Shaina reached out to me on Instagram inquiring about some of our digital products. Since then, we've kept in touch on socials and I just had to share one of her projects here with you! If you're like Shaina, the comfort of Manman is everything, especially when it comes to Haitian food. When she was away at college, she was feeling home sick and came up with the idea to create these boxes full of Haitian goodies and products that bring back a sense of nostalgia. You can read her full story and see what else she has for sale on her site.
Our box by Manman Kiskeya included:
Thank you Shaina for the box that you sent to us! My husband and I had a great time hanging out eating the Haitian snacks while I listened to childhood stories he told. Listen below to an amazing podcast interview with Michel and his journey in the clairin (alcohol) business in Haiti.  Export business man in Port-au-Prince who went back to his homeland in Saint-Michel, Haiti to take over his family's business at a clairin distillery - The Spirit of Haiti. If you've ever wondered how this rum is made, check out their production process (with photos!) This is The Real Haiti. This is why I had a fire lit under me the first time I went to Haiti. And this is why I continue to blog passionately about Haiti and the amazing things happening there. Every day, hardworking people, living life in Haiti...The Real Haiti. Original podcast story posted here.
Haitian food is a huge part of the Haitian culture. Eating is always an amazing experience in Haiti, not only because everything is delicious, but because they are so many non-traditional ways of getting food. When I sat down and thought about my food experiences in Haiti, I realized how much fun eating Haitian food is! Here are some of my favorites... Coconut {kokoye} cut the top off and drink from it Almond {zanmann} pick it from the tree, smash it with a rock to open it and enjoy Seafood {manje ki fèt ak bèt lanmè} caught fresh whenever you want Watermelon {melon dlo} from the side of the road stand Sugar cane {kann} from the market {mache} Vegetable markets {mache} or snack stands at the beach Grocery stores like Giant Supermarket {makèt} Sweet treats at the beach {plaj} boardwalk Haitian sweet treats tablèt pistach, dous tablèt + kokoye Make your own kitchen with a gas stove {founo} when there's no electricity Just like traveling to any new place, learning about the food and trying new things is so much fun! September is Haitian Gastronomy month! Haiti is known for it's hospitality and delicious food. I have been lucky enough to experience preparing, cooking and serving Haitian food at special events in Haiti. Here are some of the shots. Behind the scenes with Haitian chefs  In 2013, we had the pleasure of going behind the scenes with Chef Alain Lemaire and the other visiting and local chefs for Gout et Saveurs Lakay, Haiti's food, wine and spirits festival. VIDEOGRAPHY: Diana Pierre-Louis of The Real Haiti & James Lapierre of Lapierre Film VIDEO EDITING: Diana Pierre-Louis of The Real Haiti PHOTOGRAPHY: Fedno Lubin VOICEOVER: Joel Trimble of La Bonne Nouvelle MUSIC: TiCorn & Haitian Toubadou 2018 is the 8th year of Gout et Saveurs Lakay from September 27 - 30 - more info here. The video below has nothing to do with my experiences, but it's funny and true!  I hope you find these freebies useful to teach your children, friends, family or students about Haiti and the Haitian culture! Use it at home, at a family gathering, for a school presentation, or in your classroom to help teach diversity and culture awareness! Get a FREE 4-page worksheet/poster bundle of Haitian Cultural highlights with Haitian Creole and English! Where in the world is Haiti?
Numbers in Haitian Creole
Colors in Haitian Creole
Popular Authentic Haitian Food
You may use these online, but please link back to TheRealHaiti.com please!
If there are other topics you'd like us to cover, just let us know! ENJOY! Mesi anpil! Want more worksheets? Check out our best selling workbook! Only $17.50 |
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