Every New Year’s Day, Duschia Bodet ’16 spends her time honoring Haitian tradition by chopping vegetables, marinating meat and cooking broth to make a special delicacy for her family. Bodet and her family annually prepare Joumou, a traditional Haitian soup enjoyed on January 1, Haitian Independence Day.
The thick, flavorful and mildly spicy butternut squashbased soup requires at least four hours of elaborate preparation. Bodet, both of her parents, her brother and her twin sister all help prepare Joumou at their home.
Joumou is one of Bodet’s favorite meals, and she eagerly anticipates cooking it every year.
“First, you have to find all of the vegetables at multiple grocery stores. You need potatoes, yams, celery, carrots, plantains and more,” said Bodet. “You also have to marinate the meat and let it sit out for a while. The broth needs to be cooked for two hours before we can pour blended butternut squash purée into it.”
“The vegetables have to be peeled and chopped by hand, a time-consuming and difficult process,” she added.
“The soup always smells incredible, especially when the meat is cooking, and I find it difficult not to just eat it as I’m making it,” said Bodet, laughing.
Bodet takes special interest in the history behind her favorite meal. Preparing and eating Joumou gives her a chance to connect to her African and Haitian roots and appreciate the struggles that her ancestors faced and overcame, according to Bodet.
“When the Americas were being settled, the island of Haiti was colonized by the French, and thousands of African slaves were brought to the island. They suffered from harsh conditions, long days and difficult labor,” said Bodet.
“The house slaves of Haiti worked as cooks and made the soup Joumou, but they were never permitted to eat it because it was for their masters. And it’s no small wonder they wanted to eat it so badly, considering how good it tastes and how much time and energy it takes to make!” continued Bodet.
Eventually, the slaves rebelled against the French, gaining both their freedom and independence on January 1, 1804. As the story goes, the slaves rejoiced over their newfound independence by making and eating the delicious Joumou, beginning a tradition that is continued by Haitians like Bodet.
“[The Haitians] had been beaten down and whipped and killed, but they didn’t let that break them,” she said. “Instead they fought, and they won [their independence]… I feel really honored that I am a part of that history.”
