Kadushi is Curaçao's singular cactus soup, made from the de-spined flesh of the tall column cactus, which releases an okra-like silkiness as it cooks. It is true desert-island cooking — turning the thorny landscape itself into dinner.
Spoon up kadushi and the soup is thick, green, and slightly slippery, like a cactus-okra hybrid, savory with salt cod. Bite: the cactus flesh is mild, faintly tart, and vegetal, the mucilage giving an okra-like body, the salt cod lending savor, a gentle chili warmth. A genuinely unique island soup — Curaçao's clever use of the desert cactus.
The column cactus's flesh, like okra, releases a mucilage when simmered that naturally thickens the soup to a slippery body — no flour needed. Salt cod gives savory depth and the cactus a mild, faintly tart vegetal flavor; it's an ingenious use of an arid-island plant.
Variations
With shrimp or fish. With more okra. Spicier. With dumplings. With a meat stock. Thicker.
On the Palate
Where Kadushi sits in the Curaçaoan flavor cloud
Simmer the cactus flesh long enough to release its okra-like mucilage — that natural slipperiness thickens the soup to a silky body with no flour at all.
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
8 steps · 35 min active + 35 min waiting
- 112 min
Carefully strip the spines and skin from cactus stalks; rinse the green flesh and slice.
Watch outHandle the stalks carefully — get every spine off and peel down to the clean green flesh.
- 28 min
Soak and flake 150 g salt cod.
- 36 min
Fry 1 chopped onion, garlic, and a little sweet pepper in oil.
- 44 min
Add the sliced cactus flesh and 1 L water; bring to a simmer.
- 526 min
Simmer 25 min, stirring, until the cactus softens and the soup turns slippery and thick.
Watch outThe soup is ready when it turns slippery and thick enough to coat the spoon and the cactus is soft.
- 69 min
Add the flaked salt cod and a whole scotch bonnet; simmer 8 min.
- 73 min
Season with lime, salt, and pepper; remove the pepper.
- 82 min
Serve hot with funchi or bread.
