Cajun vs Creole food

[NKG6002]

This wil be our first time in NO and need a little "tutoring" on the difference in cajun and creole cooking.....or are the terms interchangeable ? Thanks so much in advance !! :)

[Sargent_Schultz]

Not that much these days. To me, Cajun is more French in origin and Creole is more African.

 

An interesting read:

http://tabasco.org/taste_tent/menu_planning/cajun_vs_creole_cooking.cfm

[UPCrawfish]

"Borrowed" from www.gumbopages.com

 

"What is the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking? Most Louisiana chroniclers claim the answer is simple. Many Creoles were rich planters and their kitchens aspired to grande cuisine. Their recipes came from France or Spain as did their chefs. By using classic French techniques with local foodstuffs, they created a whole new cuisine, Creole cooking.

 

On the other hand, the Acadians, pronounced <uh-CADE-ee-uns>, later contracted to Cajun, were a tough people used to living under strenuous conditions. They tended to serve strong country food prepared from locally available ingredients. It was pungent, peppery and practical since it was all cooked in a single pot. Thus Cajun cuisine was born.

 

While both cuisines are distinct, there are cross references. Rice is a staple of both and Creole and Cajun chefs usually start dish by making a roux of oil and flour. In addition, there are many common ingredients such as crab, river shrimp, lake shrimp, oysters, crawfish, freshwater and saltwater fish, plus squirrels, wild turkeys, ducks, frogs, turtles, pork, homemade sausages, beans of all kinds, tomatoes, okra, yams, pecans, oranges and wines, liqueurs and brandy."

 

mon ami qui est de la bonne nourriture......:D

[jgmpuma]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Creole_cuisine

 

Another good reference.

 

New Orleans cooking is really Creole cooking: lots of African and Carribean influences with familiar (at least to us) ingredients.

 

My wife's family has a fishing camp in Grand Isle, south of NO on the Gulf. Some of our neighbors are Cajuns, the authentic type who can still speak French. Their cooking is very simple, compared to Creole, and they eat everything they can catch, trap or shoot, including all of those mentioned in the post above. Some of it is a little gamey for my tastes, but that is what they grew up eating.

[Sargent_Schultz]

Not that much these days. To me, Cajun is more French in origin and Creole is more African.

 

An interesting read:

http://tabasco.org/taste_tent/menu_planning/cajun_vs_creole_cooking.cfm

 

"If you want to spark an argument among old-time south Louisiana gourmets, ask them to tell you the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking. It'll be entertaining."

 

I agree (in my case) cooking Cajun only messes up one pot and cooking Creole can dirty more.

 

Creole will use tomato and Cajun will shy away from.

 

The African influence in Creole did come via the Caribbean and many consider New Orleans to be the northern most Caribbean port!

 

Cajun is more focused in SW Louisiana, but both have intermixed over the years. Sort of like Cajun music and Zydeco. Kind of one big gumbo, now, although there are still purists out there.