Soup joumou is the Haitian pumpkin soup traditionally eaten to mark independence on January 1.
Soup joumou is a blended pumpkin soup containing vegetables, spices, pasta or rice in some versions, and pieces of beef. Haitians traditionally prepare and share it on January 1, Haiti’s Independence Day. The date commemorates the declaration of independence from France in 1804.
The soup carries powerful historical meaning because enslaved people in colonial Saint-Domingue were reportedly forbidden from eating the dish, which was associated with their enslavers. After the Haitian Revolution, soup joumou became a symbol of freedom and equality, shared by people across the new nation.
In 2021, UNESCO added Haiti’s soup joumou to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The name is also written joumou soup. Recipes differ between families, but pumpkin or winter squash, beef and a seasoned broth remain central features.