726. Curaçao’s Candle Cactus Soup

Kadushi (candle cactus) is among our most abundant natural resource, so our resourceful grandinan (literally: big ones) invented this delicious, recipe to reap its healthy, organic, energetic benefits… spines, not included!

Not to be confused with another slippery favorite, Guiambo (okra soup) —

1. Head over to the mondi… and it’s absolutely critical you get there between 10-11 am (to avoid excessive bitterness*)… cut 5 pieces of kadushi (not to be confused with datu), about 10″ each.

2. Use Chi ku Cha to carry your kadushi to avoid getting pricked.

‘Chi ku Cha’

3. Clean your kadushi and carefully take off its spines.

4. Peel its skin off with a knife, then cut and save the insides a.k.a. ‘kadushi meat’.

Photo by Andre Nagtegaal.

5. Grind or beat kadushi meat

6. Boil 10 cups of water, then add kadushi meat.

7. Continue boiling mixture for 30 minutes, stirring with Pal’i Lele (our trusted three-pronged age-old hand-mixer), until nice and thick.

‘Pal’i Lele’ goes head-to-head with Kitchenaid. Photo by Marla Gomes Casseres.

** Or skip steps 1 – 7 and “buy some cactus powder at the market” (source: “This is the Way We Cook!” compiled by Jewell Fenzi, 1971) … Honestly, what’s the fun in that?! 

Photo by Andre Nagtegaal.

8.  Add 1/2 lb karni sa (salted beef), 1/2 lb rabu (salted pig’s tail), 15 -20 dried shrimp, 1/2 lb clams.

Photo by Andre Nagtegaal.

9. Keep stirring with Pal’i Lele; add salt to taste.

10. Serve with Funchi. Yummm!!!

* Tip from Senjora Baby Mogen (QePD), Komedor Krioyo Dokterstuin.