From the Bayou to the Big Easy
Etouffee, jambalaya, gumbo... the food of Louisiana conjures up Southern elegance, a rustic bayou scene, Caribbean heat, French flair, and Dixieland jazz. Many American culinary favorites started here, and the bounty of fresh ingredients grown or caught in the state has influenced two great culinary traditions: Creole and Cajun.
Creole cooking is New Orleans cuisine, refined and based on French traditions but with influences from Spain, Africa, Germany, Italy, and the West Indies. Cajun dishes, which come from the country cooking developed by the Acadians (called "Cajuns") from French Canada, tend to be heartier and more highly spiced than Creole dishes.
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