New Years is one of the most exciting days of the year for me. Not just because it means the start of a new year, or because it means a new me (and the beginning of a resolution that I might drop within a month). No, because I indulged in a large bowl of joumou soup.
Soup joumou is a slightly sweet, uniquely flavored pumpkin soup that originated in Haiti. The soup is made with a base of calabaza, butternut squash, or pumpkin; rich root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and turnips; seasoned with epis, a blend of chilies, garlic, and herbs found in most Haitian foods; and mainly some form of carb. Every Haitian household and chef has their own recipe and way of preparing the dish. Many like to use rigatoni as their carb of choice, while others may choose spaghetti. Some choose to use rice, a staple in Haitian cuisine, rather than pasta in their soup. Some Haitian chefs and home cooks prefer to keep the soup vegetarian while others, like my mom, use beef and chicken.
“Many of us think that sopas joumou is just a certain thing,” says Nadege Fleurimond, an author and chef-owner of BunNan and Fleurimond Catering in Brooklyn. “It's different for every household.”
No matter how different each cup, bowl, or pot of joumou soup is, one thing remains the same: joumou soup means freedom.
On January 1, 1804, Haiti became the first Black republic in the Western Hemisphere — the result of a 13-year revolution in which enslaved Haitians fought and overthrew their French rulers. For approximately three centuries ago, the French and Spanish enslaved the indigenous Taino people of the island of Hispaniola (the land where Haiti and the Dominican Republic live), as well as captive Africans. The Taino population was decimated by disease, war, and forced labor. The transplanted African population of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) was similarly devastated by chattel slavery, the main driver of the region's economy. In 1791, enslaved Haitians led by general Toussaint L'Ouverture began their revolt against Napoleon Bonaparte and their slaves. Now known as the Haitian Revolution, the 13-year conflict had repercussions throughout the Western Hemisphere – including Bonaparte's decision to for sale Louisiana of the United States – and marked the beginning of Sovereignty in Haiti.
To celebrate their newfound freedom, Haitians began to indulge in things that were forbidden to their slaves, including soup joumou. Under French rule, enslaved Haitians were required to harvest the ingredients and cook the soup, but were never allowed to eat it, because joumou soup was a delicacy reserved only for white slaves. . When Haiti's independence was achieved on January 1, 1804, Haitians throughout the country started a new tradition: every year on New Year's Day, Haitian Independence Day, they eat the soup.
This story of victory, celebration, and reclamation is one that I, and many other Haitians and their descendants, grew up hearing. Soup joumou provides a simple container for learning Haitian history that we don't have to be taught in school. When I was growing up, my mother would receive a pot of soup from a friend or family member every year. As my sister and I gathered around the pot, bowls in hand, ready for my mom's ladle to give us our awaited serving, Mom would remind us that joumou soup is a symbol of our freedom and how hard our ancestors fought for it.
Sharing soup joumou – and as a result, Haitian history – is a time-honored tradition held by Haitians everywhere. “In our neighborhood (growing up in Haiti), families would go and trade soup with each other,” said Wesly Jean Simon, chef-owner of Brooklyn restaurants. John John and Market Bar. “Someone would come and drop a bowl, then I would drop a bowl from my mother to another family member and then we would all exchange soup.”
In the United States, Haitians share the soup with their communities, whether its members are Haitian or not. When we spoke, Fleurimond had just finished shooting a soup joumou tutorial for his social channels to help demystify the intimidating dish. On December 26, he will host a lively soup joumou cooking class in Brooklyn in partnership with Little Haiti BK. In addition to teaching others how to make the soup, Fleurimond makes it for his non-Haitian family and friends. “I think it's on our part as Haitians to continue to share (soup joumou),” Fleurimond said.
For the past five years, Simon has been giving out free bowls of soup at his restaurants. He also brought some of the local hospitals and police precincts to show the important works of his appreciation. Last year, he gave out 900 cups of soup to his community; this year, he hopes to hit 2,000. When it comes to giving away the free soup, her focus is split between giving a little piece of home to Haitian migrants who may be struggling with food insecurity and non-Haitians who have never been associated with food in Haitian before. “I know the Haitians are still going to come and get it,” he said. “But I focus on non-Haitians because it is part of Haitian history and I want the world to remember our history.”
When I moved after graduating college, my mom started making extra large portions of joumou soup and brought a pot to my apartment on New Year's Day, which provided enough for me to share with my friends. When I shared my bounty that first year with my roommates, all of whom were of Haitian descent, I made sure to share the history of the food with them. Now, every year, even on Thanksgiving, my roommates ask me if my mother brings joumou soup again. One of them even told his coworkers that while his family doesn't have any holiday traditions around New Years, he was excited to have my mom's joumou soup with me. “That's the beauty of it,” Fleurimond said. “Soup joumou has become part of other people's traditions.”