callaloo

American  

[kal-uh-loo, kal-uh-loo] / ˌkæl əˈlu, ˈkæl əˌlu /

noun

Southern Cooking.

1. a thick soup of crabmeat, greens, and various seasonings.

---

Etymology

Origin of callaloo

First recorded in 1695–1700; compare Jamaican English calalu, any of a variety of greens used as an ingredient in soup, from Latin American Spanish (Cuba, Puerto Rico) calalú, Portuguese carurú, said to be from Tupi caárurú thick leaf

Example Sentences

She grows peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers, along with leafy callaloo — similar to collard greens in Black Southern cuisine.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2023

Among the offerings at the airy 14th Street location: callaloo, a vegetable dish of West African origins; aloo pie, a fried dumpling with Indian roots; and pork pows, a Trinidadian spin on Chinese steamed buns.

From Washington Post • Sep. 5, 2022

Or the aforementioned callaloo, whose surface of red oil hints at the cayenne punch to come and whose body is deeper for a splash of oxtail juice.

From Washington Post • Jun. 10, 2022

Today, major corridors like Church Avenue are lined with beauty supply shops, small hair and nail salons, Pentecostal and Adventist churches with vibrant signs and aromatic restaurants serving dishes like stew chicken, oxtails and callaloo.

From New York Times • Apr. 12, 2022

I smelled Ma’s famous roti and Yvonne’s mac and cheese baking and that pointy smell of callaloo cooking on top of the stove.

From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore