Kadushi Cactus Soup
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Submitted by: Antillean Eats
Submit date: May 3, 2003, 8:58 am
Kuminda.com
Information
Kadushi Cactus Soup is a traditional Curaçao dish made with kadushi, a cactus that grows naturally in the island's dry landscape. This hearty soup combines kadushi with a variety of meats, fish and seafood to create a distinctive dish deeply rooted in Curaçao's culinary heritage. Traditionally prepared using freshly harvested cactus, Kadushi Soup is commonly enjoyed with yellow or white funchi.
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Ingredients
- 2 pieces of kadushi cactus (traditionally harvested between 10:00 and 11:00 in the morning to prevent it from becoming sour during cooking).
- 1 lb. oxtail.
- 1 lb. salted beef.
- 1 lb. salted ribs.
- 1 cup dried shrimp.
- Fish, such as snoek, flying fish or gutú.
- 1 cup conch.
- 1 cup kiwa.
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Preparation
- After the sun has risen, harvest the kadushi cactus. Remove the spines and scrape the outer skin thoroughly using the back of a knife.
- Once the cactus has been cleaned, remove the soft inner pulp and place it on a plate.
- Pound the kadushi until it develops a soft, mucilaginous consistency. Traditionally, this is done using a special stone called a tati.
- Place the pounded kadushi in a cup with a small amount of water. The water helps prevent it from sticking while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- As traditionally done with salted meats, soak the salted beef, oxtail and salted ribs in fresh water beginning the day before. Rinse them thoroughly before cooking.
- Place the salted beef, oxtail, salted ribs and kiwa in a pot with water and allow them to boil for a while.
- Once the meats and kiwa have partially cooked, add the prepared kadushi and continue cooking.
- Lift a little of the kadushi with the tip of a ladle and allow it to fall back into the pot. When foam begins to rise to the surface, skim it off to keep the soup clean. Stir gently afterward.
- Meanwhile, soak the dried shrimp in fresh water for a while. Boil the fish and carefully remove all the bones.
- Tenderize the conch, then cut it into small pieces.
- Add the conch, shrimp and fish to the pot with the meats and kadushi.
- Stir everything together and continue cooking until the ingredients are tender and the flavors are well combined.
- Serve the Kadushi Cactus Soup hot with traditional yellow or white funchi.