October is pumpkin month. Pumpkin season lasts into November—all the way to Thanksgiving. Pumpkins are among the oldest known domesticated plants, dating back to 7000 BCE.
The pumpkin is believed to have originated in North and Central America, but today, according to the Internet, China, India, and Russia are the biggest pumpkin producers. (The U.S. is fifth after Ukraine.)
Pumpkins’ versatility ranges from medicinal to decorative, but one suspects that people are more familiar with jacko-lanterns than a remedy that might soothe an upset stomach. For sure, we all know about the edibility of pumpkins—pumpkin pie is one of the most popular desserts there is.
Then there is pumpkin soup. I learned about pumpkin soup when traveling to Jamaica. We didn’t grow pumpkins on the farm that I grew up on in Middle Georgia, and on that first trip to “the island in the sun,” I ordered pumpkin soup, thinking that it might be sweet.
It was a tasty treat that was overwhelming when paired with Red Stripe beer. It was fun following a daily routine of preparing for a fruit breakfast and hearing workers around the island singing calypso songs. This was followed by some outdoor activity that segued into lunch on the patio of the Casa Blanca Hotel in Montego Bay.
That setting is one of the most memorable in a lifetime of travel. The hotel was anchored into the Caribbean, next door to the Doctor’s Cave beach. There never was a bad view, and with Pumpkin Soup and Red Stripe beer on the menu, there was never a bad meal.
Not sure that I have ever had pumpkin soup anywhere but Montego Bay. It became a “must” for lunch, and I don’t know why I didn’t search for it when I returned home. Indeed, somebody out there makes a good pumpkin soup.
When I did a little research, I discovered that pumpkin soup originated in Haiti, during their independence. Haitians probably wanted the French to know they knew something about cooking.
Continuing on with additional inquiry, I discovered that Red Stripe beer did not originate in Jamaica. Much to my surprise, It was first made in Illinois but sold to the Jamaican brewery Desnoes & Geddes, which popularized the lager into the national drink of Jamaica. Red Stripe does not have a high alcohol content, which means you can imbibe it in the sun without getting intoxicated.
Before Halloween brings October to a conclusion, I am going to search for a recipe for pumpkin soup, find a six-pack of Red Stripe Beer, and enjoy a flashback to those delightful days in Jamaica.
To complete it, there will have to be calypso music accompanying my meal. When I think of Jamaica, I think of pumpkin soup, Red Stripe beer, and calypso music.
Maybe I can find a rendition of “Shame and Scandal,” a Caribbean folk song. It was known as “Shame and Scandal in the Family,” with the last word pronounced “fam-i-lee.” It was about a boy going to his father and telling him that he wanted to marry a certain girl, but his father, said, “Oh no, that girl is your sister, but your mamma don’t know.”
It was a crushing blow to the young man, but he decided that continuing the romance would not be wise, so he aborted his plans. Sometime later, he found another girl whom he wanted to marry.
Again, he went to his father and told him his plans and the father repeated the same refrain: “Oh, no, that girl is your sister, but your mamma doesn’t know.”
Devastation returned to the young man. Again, he chose not to continue the romance. After time elapsed, he found another beautiful girl, falling in love a third time. He goes back to the father, who comes with the same disclaimer once more, “Oh, no, that girl is your sister, but your mamma doesn’t know.”
Following that rejection, he went to his mother, who advised him to marry any girl he liked, saying, “Your daddy isn’t daddy, but your daddy doesn’t.”