Culture in a bowl: Haiti’s joumou soup awarded protected status by Unesco

The dish, originally cooked by slaves for their owners, has come to symbolise hope and dignity in the troubled Caribbean country

Haiti's joumou soup, a symbol of hope and dignity for the world's first black-led republic, has been awarded protected status by Unesco.

The soup, made from turban squash and originally cooked by enslaved African people for their owners in Haiti, was on Thursday added to Unesco's prestigious list of intangible cultural heritage. It is Haiti's first inclusion on the list, and the country's Unesco ambassador, Dominique Dupuy, cried as the announcement was made. The decision is expected to be officially endorsed by Unesco's general assembly next year.