A Taste of Suriname
Saoto Soup
Saoto soup holds a special place in my heart because of my
heritage. My mom was born in Suriname, a small country of less
than a million people in South America. It is a country considered
part of the Caribbean and people speak Dutch there as it was a
colony from the Netherlands. I am proudly half Dutch and half
Surinamese. As a kid my mom made sure to share her culture with my
sister and I through family gatherings, celebrations, but most
importantly food.
Food is one of my favorite ways to show appreciation to your
culture and also feel connected to it. I have fond memories of my
mom making saoto soup in the winter since I was born in the
winter. It is a comforting soup that makes me feel at home
whenever I feel down. The taste of the soup is light but still
fulfilling. As a kid I loved to help my mom sometimes but mostly
observed how she cooked and enjoyed cooking for us. I think
cooking was also a way for her to stay connected to Suriname
because we lived in the Netherlands. Now it has become a tradition
to make saoto soup when we want to feel like we're at home.
Origin
What is now known as saoto soup in Suriname,
originates from
soto ayam
which is a clear broth soup from Java Indonesia. To truly
understand how an Indonesian dish made its way across the ocean to
South America, we have to look at the history. Suriname is a
multicultural country with people who emigrated from all over the
world during the plantation time. After slavery was abolished, the
West African people did not work on plantations anymore. People
from Java, Indonesia were brought to Suriname to work as
indentured laborers between 1890 and 1930. They tried to cook
their food from home with the ingredients that were available to
them, thus was Saoto soup created.
Evolvement
Originating as Javanese dish, saoto soup is one of the staple
foods in Suriname eaten by many people. Typically it is eaten
during Javanese parties as an appetizer before the main dish. It
is made in big batches, especially if there is a large block party
going on. The typical soto ayam is a clear broth with vegetables,
and some garnish. Some differences between saoto soup and soto
ayam are that
soto ayam
uses candlenut, tumeric, boiled potatoes, and rice cakes. The
Surinamese saoto has potato chips, rice, fried onions, and
allspice. Although it is now easier to find the traditional
ingredients, the Surinamese saoto is still made the same way.
Surinamese saoto soup is now part of Surinamese culture, making a
mark in the Surinamese history of their version of the soto ayam.