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Synthesis of the Food
In my recent survey, I asked a question; “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Cajun?” 55% of responses were spicy food, 22% of responses were swamps/bayous, 2% of responses were the New Orleans Saints, and 2% of the responses were music.
Family, religion, food, and music were, and still are, very important to the Cajuns. When the Cajuns first arrived in Louisiana, they were very resourceful. As they were in Acadia, they were hunters, fisherman, and farmers. The unique animals of the swamps and bayous gave these people plentiful to eat. Seafood such as; shrimp, crabs, turtle, alligator were very important in the Cajun cooking. Cajun cooking is very unique, and there is no other like it in the world. Its uniqueness of spices and seasonings, and the imagination of various dishes made are all renditions of the wildlife that is indigenous to southern Louisiana.
“Favorite Cajun dishes include jambalaya, gumbo, turtle sauce piquante, andouille sausage, boudin (a pork and rice sausage), cochon du lait, soft-shell crab, stuffed crab, a hundred shrimp dishes, crawfish etouffee, crawfish bisque, crawfish pie, and dozens more.” (Louisiana Government)
The most often used in la cuisine cadienne, is the cast iron skillet because of its thick bottom which helps to keep the food from burning during the high heat” phase of the Cajun recipes, and also forgives the slight attention during the “low heat” of the efouffer (smothering) stage of the Cadien, (Cajun) cooking (Wetlands). Although the Cajun food is very unique in its style, it has some influences that occurred during the 18th century when settling in southern Louisiana. During the Spanish rule, some Spanish settlers intermingled with the Cajuns, and Jambalaya is like spicy paella, which is a Spanish dish, which may have derived from the influence (Reichard, n.d.).
Family, religion, food, and music were, and still are, very important to the Cajuns. When the Cajuns first arrived in Louisiana, they were very resourceful. As they were in Acadia, they were hunters, fisherman, and farmers. The unique animals of the swamps and bayous gave these people plentiful to eat. Seafood such as; shrimp, crabs, turtle, alligator were very important in the Cajun cooking. Cajun cooking is very unique, and there is no other like it in the world. Its uniqueness of spices and seasonings, and the imagination of various dishes made are all renditions of the wildlife that is indigenous to southern Louisiana.
“Favorite Cajun dishes include jambalaya, gumbo, turtle sauce piquante, andouille sausage, boudin (a pork and rice sausage), cochon du lait, soft-shell crab, stuffed crab, a hundred shrimp dishes, crawfish etouffee, crawfish bisque, crawfish pie, and dozens more.” (Louisiana Government)
The most often used in la cuisine cadienne, is the cast iron skillet because of its thick bottom which helps to keep the food from burning during the high heat” phase of the Cajun recipes, and also forgives the slight attention during the “low heat” of the efouffer (smothering) stage of the Cadien, (Cajun) cooking (Wetlands). Although the Cajun food is very unique in its style, it has some influences that occurred during the 18th century when settling in southern Louisiana. During the Spanish rule, some Spanish settlers intermingled with the Cajuns, and Jambalaya is like spicy paella, which is a Spanish dish, which may have derived from the influence (Reichard, n.d.).
(Shaun Drum, personal photo library, 2012)
This picture is of an exhibit in the Acadian
Wetlands Museum. It shows the cast iron
pots Cajuns used to cook with.
This picture is of an exhibit in the Acadian
Wetlands Museum. It shows the cast iron
pots Cajuns used to cook with.
The video above is of New Orleans' Cajun Justin Wilson. He was a very well known Cajun Chef of Louisiana. In the video he is making a well known, and loved, dish called Dirty Rice. Often when cooking, Cajuns love to tell stories as they cook.
The video above is of New Orleans' Cajun Justin Wilson. He was a very well known Cajun Chef of Louisiana. In the video he is making a well known, and loved, dish called Gumbo. Often when cooking, Cajuns love to tell stories as they cook.