Louisiana Creole Food and Cajun Cooking: The Influences

Fri, Aug 3rd 2007, 00:00

The food of New Orleans is an exotic blend of the people who have called this corner of the Mississippi Delta their home ... the folks who settled there brought with them the recipes from home and these have merged into the colourful dishes you can enjoy.


The French influence is strongest, but the essence of Creole food is found in rich sauces, local herbs, red ripe tomatoes, and the prominent use of local seafood. The roux is an essential component of both Creole and Cajun cooking. This mixture of oil and flour darkens and thickens the traditional stews, or gumbos. Originally, Cajun meals were bland, as nearly every dish was boiled. The development of the roux gave more versatility to these boiled dishes.

Gumbo is a popular recipe in both Creole and Cajun cooking. It reflects the fascinating mix of influences in Louisiana cuisine: French Bouillabaisse is the inspiration behind the creation of gumbo. But the word Gumbo is derived from the African word for okra, gombo. The kin gumbo or okra plant was brought over to America with the African slaves. Apart from okra there were field peas, eggplant, peanuts and yams which have become an integral part of the diet in the South.

Germans also arrived in Louisiana during the 1700s and added the knowledge of sausage making. Sausage or andouille, containing pork, beef, chicken, or wild game, is a welcome ingredient to any gumbo. Popular Cajun dishes often include sausages with pork ... you can tell youre in Cajun country if you can get a piece of hot boudin (Cajun sausage made from rice and pork) in any gas station or grocery store you stop in.

The Native Americans introduced the settlers to corn, pumpkins, squash, beans and many types of wild berries and game. Tomatoes were developed by the Indians, but many Southerners viewed them as poisonous until the twentieth century. The Indians also taught the settlers to dry meats and vegetables, to make jerky and preserves. The women learned to process corn to make breads like hoe cakes and cornbread.

The Spanish colonists introduced peppers, spices, and seasonings from their Caribbean and Latin American outposts. From the West Indies and Haiti came exotic vegetables and new cooking methods, including braising. Later, the arrival of Italians contributed excellent pastries and rich ice creams.

Spanish favourite, Paella, was the forefather of Louisianas jambalaya. This is another one pot meal, made traditionally with meat, seafood and vegetables and completed by adding rice. Creole jambalaya or red jambalaya is made with meat, usually chicken and sausage, then adding vegetables and especially tomatoes. Seafood and rice is then added. In Cajun jambalaya there are no tomatoes. A true Cajun jambalaya gets its brown colour from browning the meat in the cast iron pot.

 

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