Table of Contents:
Cajun
Creole.
Other Cuisines.
Traditional Dishes
Taste New Orleans
Wines of Louisiana. Louisiana Beers. Louisiana Spirits.
Spicy, saucy, boozy, and bawdy are words you may find in descriptions of Louisiana cuisine. And in many cases, those terms fit whether you are preparing, presenting, or consuming it.
To me, every meal in Louisiana feels like an event. It is not necessarily a five-course meal extravaganza, although I like those. But there always seems to be a little festivity in the air or on the plate. Louisianans take their joie de vivre (joy of life) seriously.
Computers, apps, and time cards threaten the Louisiana way of life. When you arrive, you want to slow down. Have a glass of local Louisiana tea and set a spell. The cuisine takes its time as well.
Like most cuisines, Louisiana cuisine began as the food of the working people and the poor. Slow cooking and flavorings can make anything delicious.
Fresh and saltwater ingredients are easy to come by, so they figure in many of the recipes.
So, what is Louisiana cuisine? I can sum up in two words: Cajun and Creole. You better learn the difference.
Taste Louisiana Cajun.
Cajun and Creole are the same things, aren’t they? Be ready to duck if you say that to an authentic Cajun or Creole.
In all fairness, many restaurants use the terms Cajun and Creole interchangeably. They should know better.
But when you get into the home kitchens, that’s when you can see they are two distinct ethnic groups.
They have a unique history, traditions, culture, and cuisine. Both groups use recipes from their mothers, who got them from their mothers, who…
So, who are the Cajuns? They are descendants of the Arcadian people who came south from Canada to escape the British. Their original recipes probably included meat (small animals like squirrels and beavers) and freshwater fish.
When you end up in a new location, you need to make do with what you can get your hands on. Wild game, seafood, locally grown vegetables, and pigs were more accessible than the “meat” back home. Many of the Arcadians (Cajuns) settled in southwest Louisiana. They call this area Arcadiana.
Seafood is not far away. You use what you can get your hands on. Along the rivers, they found crawfish, and it soon became a regular ingredient. So, Cajun is not authentic Arcadian cuisine. It’s southern Arcadian. It is a taste Louisiana calls its own.
Today, many Acadiana residents will also have Native American, French, German, Italian, or other ethnic blood in their family. And other ethnic tweaks to their cuisine. But at the end of the day, their life is firmly that of the Cajun culture. You will taste it in the food and hear it in Cajun-French music and language.
There are Some Similarities.
The Cajun and Creole people did not grow apples or pineapples or herd beef cattle in Louisiana. They raised or grew what their land could sustain, so the two cuisines used similar ingredients.
If you go back far enough, both are variations on French cooking. That means many dishes begin with the holy trinity of French cuisine, the mirepoix, carrots, celery, and onion. Louisiana’s holy trinity leaves out carrots and adds green peppers to provide the flavor foundation.
And we should mention spices. They constitute a significant part of Louisiana cuisine.
Cajun spices are garlic powder, onion, black and cayenne pepper. Creole spices are the Cajun mixture with additional spices, including basil, paprika, Oregano, and more.
Over the decades, the lines between different groups of people can blur. In short, no one knows 100% what authentic Creole or Cajun is. Betty Crocker was not around to jot down the first recipes.
And Many Differences.
Some call Cajun, Louisiana country food. It comes from the rural and country areas of Southwest Louisiana.
While Creole is city food, well, that was partially true at one time.
One blanket statement you can make is that if you find tomato in it, it’s not Cajun. But not always.
Like piquant sauce, some Cajun food starts with tomatoes as one of the main ingredients. See? It’s a little blurry.
Cajun cooking often uses vegetable oil or animal fats; they are less expensive than butter. (And available in the 18th century.) You may find some Cajun pot dishes that are more like soup as they only put in what they have.
The Acadians were extraordinarily resourceful, and their relatives are today. They had little storage and rarely refrigeration, So nothing went to waste. When slaughtering animals, all parts go for something.
Pigs are popular in Cajun cuisine. When they are butchering a hog, they call it a boucherie. Many Cajun sausages come from the pig. They include Boudin, Tasso, and Andouille.
Hot and Spicey
Cajun food is spicy. Many Americans think spicey means hot.
Hot versus Spicey 101 – Take a small ball of cream cheese and roll it in a mixture of garlic, thyme, and parsley. Pop it in your mouth. Taste all the different flavors? These are spices, and what you taste is spicy.
Now, roll a ball of creme cheese in cayenne pepper. Can you see (feel) the difference? This sensation is hot or heat. They are not the same thing.
Remember, Cajun dishes began with whatever they could find, often the less desirable parts of animals. Slow cooking makes the dishes more manageable to chew, and flavors make them easier to swallow.
You will find garlic, paprika, thyme, file (ground sassafras leaves), green onions, parsley, and other spices in the Cajun kitchen. In general, think of these as 95% of your seasoning.
Cajuns do like a little heat. Cayenne pepper, or pepper sauce, makes up the other 5%. The McIlhenny family has made TABASCO Pepper Sauce on Avery Island since 1868. Did you know there are several levels of heat?
Taste Louisiana Creole
Creole cooking is older than Cajun cooking. It dates back to the 1700s when the French began settling in Louisiana. Some say 1718, when Nouvelle-Orléans began forming.
Cajun cuisine arrives with the French Arcadians during the late 1700s.
Is Creole today the same as in 1718? Probably not. Don’t forget that Louisiana was Spanish for much of the second half of the 18th century.
Criollo was the label the early American-born Spanish and Portuguese people gave themselves. Over the years, the term Creole split as these people began mingling with other groups. The growing group would include native-born slaves of African descent as well as free people of color.
The term “French Creole” would apply to someone of European ancestry born in the colony. The term “Louisiana Creole” refers to those of mixed racial descent.
The Creole people are a blend of the various cultures of New Orleans, and so is their food. Creole today has hints of African, Caribbean, German, Italian, Native American, Portuguese, Spanish, and other cuisines.
Creole cuisine is “city food” and is more high-brow than Cajun cuisine. Traditionally, the kitchen slaves of the society people would spend all day preparing the family’s food. They also had access to an abundance of resources. That’s why you find tomatoes in Creole cuisine. The upscale markets had them.
In short, more time and abundant ingredients for fewer people. Mom’s food will always taste better than banquet food.
There are some similarities.
Both kitchens contain salt, Black pepper, Garlic, Onion powder, Oregano, and Thyme.
Both cuisines use Cayenne pepper, although the Cajuns seem to use this spice a little more heavily. This is interesting, as early Cajuns did not have access to this luxury spice.
In contrast, many Creole dishes seem to have a hearty dash of paprika. Traditionally, neither use enough to cause permanent damage to your tongue and stomach.
And Many Differences.
Creole spices may include celery seed, sweet basil, white pepper, and other imported spices.
Another food group found in Creole cooking is dairy. French-inspired creamy soups and sauces are also included. A Creole roux always uses butter and flour, while a Cajun roux uses oil.
Okra originates in Africa, possibly Asia, before that. Certainly not in a Cajun garden. Another clue your recipe might be Creole in origin. Taste Louisiana Creole and see the difference.
Other Cuisines
Creole and Cajun pretty much cover the southern part of the state. But what about the central and northern areas? Is it just one big state of Gumbo?
Going back to, you use what you can get your hands on. There are other regions where you can taste Louisiana in whole new flavors.
Seafood and Fish
Yes, along the coast, you will find seafood gumbos and jambalayas. But you can also find fresh oysters and steamed shrimp and crab. Seafood boils are also popular.
In the inland marshes and swamps, look for catfish (usually fried) and crawfish (baby freshwater lobsters they serve whole.) There is also reptile meat because they use what they can get. Try some alligator (usually fried) and turtle soup. These are all a taste Louisiana has made famous.
Farm to Table
Farm products replace seafood once you get north of Interstate 10 (Baton Rouge and Lafayette). Besides produce, you find a lot of pork products.
Remember, Louisiana is where people like to take their time and slow-cook food. Expect to find roasts and other pork dishes from the fire. Also, the before-mentioned sausages and cracklins, the local term for fried pork rinds. Taste Louisiana sausage by itself. See what it brings to other recipes.
Who Wants Pie?
Somewhere around Natchitoches, the farm cooking starts picking up more southern dishes. Grits, fried catfish, collard greens, cornbread, and the like are on the menu, along with the pork.
Besides farming, there are also community gardens and orchards. Look for soul food and pies. Not just fruit and icebox pies, but you can find meat pies as well. Natchitoches seems to be the epicenter of meat pies.
Whether you taste Louisiana sweet potato, pecan, or strawberry icebox pie, you should be smiling.
Shreveport-Bossier
These twin towns are the food-lovers capital of northern Louisiana. Shreveport says fried catfish, meat pies, purple hull peas, and cornbread are north Louisiana’s official meal. You follow this with sweet potato pie or peach cobbler and wash it down with sweet tea.
Don’t get me wrong. The chefs here are as good as anyone at Southern/Soul Food. The problem is that they also do Creole, Cajun, and Texas-style BBQ well. That’s why food lovers love it.
Head to northeastern Louisiana, around Monroe, and you can find similar dishes but with more of a small-town vibe. Who says you can’t taste Louisiana outside of New Orleans?
Taste Louisiana by Region
This page is a general overview of Louisiana. Can you find Cajun and Creole dishes in the state’s far northwest corner? Absolutely.
I doubt there is a parish in Louisiana where you can’t.
Can you find southern and soul food in the heart of New Orleans? No doubt. But I would like to sample the foods from that location.
And what’s with all this rice? Rice isn’t from America. Really? Much of the rice you eat in Louisiana is from Louisiana. It has been a local product since the 1800s.
And you can find Italian, Chinese, and Spanish food. And like I do not eat Italian food in Greece, I do not go to Louisiana for Chinese. When in Louisiana, taste Louisiana.
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Louisiana Specialties
Breakfast
Calas (Creole rice fritters) – are dumplings with a dough of cooked rice, yeast, sugar, eggs, and flour. They deep-fry these. Traditionally, you serve them with coffee (cafe au lait).
Couche-Couche – begins as fried cornmeal. Some people add milk, raisins, maple syrup, or even eggs.
Eggs Sardou is a version of Eggs Benedict that starts with a bed of creamed spinach. Next come Artichoke bottoms for the next layer, with poached eggs on top.
Hollandaise sauce covers the mound. It is a creation of Antoine’s Restaurant circa 1880.
Lunch
Po’ Boy Sandwiches – are the New Orleans version of the Submarine sandwich. You will find meat on a French bread baguette, usually roast beef or fried seafood. It may be shrimp, crawfish, fish, oysters, crab, and I have seen combinations.
Is it Creole or Cajun? I had a Cajun Shrimp Po-boy with Creole seasoning in the flour. So, I guess it can be either or both.
Muffuletta – is a round Italian bread with sesame seeds. The sandwich they make with it is also a muffuletta. They slice the bun horizontally. Marinated olive salad, ham, salami, mortadella sausage, Swiss, and provolone cheese are layered inside.
Many places will sell them in full or half size. I have also seen some shops offer it by the quarter.
Stuffed Pistolette – is a Cajun dish where they stuff a roll called a Pistolette. You find it predominantly around the Lafayette area. They fry the bread before stuffing it. The filling is usually seafood, such as crawfish or shrimp, and sometimes meat. Other ingredients may include cheese, onions, or jalapeños.
Around New Orleans, the Vietnamese community uses the pistolette roll for one of their recipes, which they also call Pistolette. However, they are NOT the same thing, and Louisiana does not consider pistolette a local taste.
Appetizers
Oysters Rockefeller – are fresh oysters with a creamy butter sauce and bread crumbs on top. They are broiled before serving them with a lemon wedge. They were also created by Antoine in 1888.
Oysters Bienville – are oysters with a stuffing of shrimp, mushrooms, bell peppers, white wine, and other spices. They sprinkle a Parmesan cheese and breadcrumb mixture on top before baking. Arnaud’s, since 1918, claims to be the first to make it.
Oysters en brochette – is a Creole classic with raw oyster and bacon pieces on a skewer. They may broil it, roll it in cornflour and deep fry it, or saute it in butter.
Turtle soup – is a thick Creole soup. You might think turtles were Cajun, as they were plentiful in the 1800s and free if you caught them. But this is a Creole dish that starts with turtle meat on the bone, which is simmered until it falls off the bone. Then, they make a roux, add the trinity and turtle meat, and add the broth until it is like gravy. They also add Creole spices.
Mock Turtle Soup – is made made with veal or other meats, as turtle meat is expensive or difficult to obtain.
Sausages
Andouille – is a Cajun sausage with pork shoulder, garlic, and other spices. They then smoke it. It is more an ingredient than something you eat by itself. But they serve it with beans and rice for you to mix.
Boudin – is a spicy Cajun sausage made with pork and rice. You can serve boudin with or in other foods, but the most common is to serve it whole as an appetizer.
Taste Louisiana Entrees
Jambalaya – There is Creole (in the city) and Cajun (outside of New Orleans.) Creole (red) Jambalaya includes tomatoes and seafood, which the Cajun (usually brown) will not. Other than that, traditionally, they start with simmering the vegetable trinity. Next, add meat and other vegetables until soft, then add spices and stock. After this, the rice goes into the mix, and everything simmers for at least one hour.
Gumbo – can be Cajun or Creole, but it is not Jambalaya. The original gumbo is probably Creole, although it may be an import from Africa. The name derives from a West African word for okra, a staple plant of Africa. The filé powder (ground sassafras leaves) comes from the Choctaws and, possibly, other tribes. The Creole version has meat or shellfish and maybe some tomato. The Cajun version does not have tomatoes and usually has seafood or fowl. There are as many gumbo recipes as there are Louisiana chefs/cooks.
Étouffée – appears to be a Cajun dish coming from the Bayou in the 1950s. It begins with a white roux (Oil and flour. They do not brown it). They add the vegetable trinity into the roux and simmer before adding the stock. The mixture is the consistency of syrup. They combine the shellfish and simmer for ten minutes or until the seafood is done. They serve it over white rice. The Creole version is not much different. Butter in the roux instead of oil. Bits of tomato or a dash of tomato paste go into the stock. Additional seasoning may also be in the broth.
Strictly Creole
Strictly Cajun
Sides
Hot Sauces.
Along with Cajun versus Creole, there is something else you better know before opening your mouth in Louisiana. There is no one hot/pepper sauce. There are two, despite the 50 other brands you might see in a tourist store to a local. And these two are sources for “heated” debate. I do not list brand names unless it is an integral part of the experience. Many restaurants will have a bottle of each brand on the table. It’s that important to the experience.
Crystal Hot Sauce – is a brand of hot sauce using aged red cayenne peppers, white vinegar, and salt. It hits in a three-pronged attack. First, you get a deep, lightly smoky pepper flavor. Then the heat hits. The vinegar and salt come right behind it.
Tabasco sauce – is the other hot sauce they make with aged tabasco peppers, specifically from Avery Island. With Tabasco, I get more vinegary flavor upfront, and that’s not a bad thing. For my tongue, Tabasco feels a little “warmer.” I can use both and do. Have a hot sauce comparison side by side. You may need two bottles on your table. Hot sauce is part of the taste Louisiana is all about.
Condiments
Remoulade – is a sauce originating in France. Old France began using sauces when meat was a little past its “best used by” date. The remoulade was probably a meat sauce. Today, it is more often a condiment or dipping sauce for seafood cakes or fish. And in some places, french fries. It is an aioli (garlic and olive oil.) or mayonnaise (egg, oil, vinegar, lemon juice.). To this, they add Creole mustard, paprika, Creole (or Cajun) seasoning, pickle juice (sweet or dill), garlic, horseradish, and a splash of hot sauce.
Creole Mustard – uses brown mustard seeds that are marinated in vinegar. They grind the marinated seeds and mix with horseradish into hot, spicy mustard.
Creole sauce (red gravy, sauce piquant) starts with the vegetable trinity, sauteeing them in butter, garlic, and seasonings. They add stock (usually chicken), cayenne, hot sauce, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, thyme, and parsley.
Other Cuisines
Seafood Boils – shellfish, including shrimp, crabs, and crayfish, go into big pots with corn and potatoes. They boil them all together and serve them together.
En Papillote – French for “in parchment” is popular with local seafood. They seal the seafood in a parchment paper envelope with liquid or sauce. This container allows the sauce of wine, and usually shrimp and crabmeat, to steam the seafood. The most popular fish to use is Pompano.
Desserts and sweets
Louisiana Bread Pudding – is not the first bread pudding, but it puts a twist to it. Outside of using French bread cubes, the dessert is similar to others. They put milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the pudding.
The big difference is the “Hard” sauce they pour over the baked dessert. Butter, sugar, and cream meet nutmeg, vanilla, and Caribbean dark rum. Some substitute whiskey for rum. This sweet is now a taste Louisiana can claim.
Doberge Cake – is a local dessert cake from the 1930s, based on a Hungarian Dobos torte from the 1800s. It is multiple thin layers (six or more) of cake alternating with pudding or various flavors. They receive a thin layer of buttercream and then a hard fondant shell or glaze. In the 1800s, with limited refrigeration, the layers kept the cake longer. Traditional flavors include chocolate, lemon, and caramel.
Beignets
Beignet – is the official state doughnut of Louisiana. They are not from Louisiana. They date back possibly to the Romans. The most current version in France, circa 1800, was taken by travelers as a taste of home. These include the French who went to Arcadia and the settlers heading to “New France” along the Mississippi River. So, it is both Cajun and Creole.
They are a square-shaped pastry using choux (butter, water, flour, and egg) dough. There is no yeast. During the deep-frying, moisture causes the squares to puff. While the beignet is hot, it gets a generous shake of powdered sugar. Tradition is you eat them warm. As they cool, they get greasy. And as take out? Yuck! The cafe (coffee stand), dating from 1862 and next door to the French Market, is a fun (touristy) place to try them.
Candies and Coffees
Pralines – are from France and date back to circa 1600. Like many old world recipes, they morph in “New France,” usually because of available ingredients. The traditional French Praline was a whole almond encased in caramelized sugar. There are no almonds in Louisiana, but there are pecans. Chefs begin adding cream to thicken the coating. Caribbean rum and sugar are pouring into New Orleans. Soon, brown sugar replaces white in the local pralines.
Sugar 101 – Most sugar comes from sugar cane juice they dry and grind. Sugar cane has molasses in it. For white sugar, they remove almost all the molasses. Light brown sugar has 3.5% molasses still in it, and dark brown sugar is over 6%. Brown sugar caramelizes much more readily than refined sugar. This caramelization helps glazes, gravies, and toll-house cookies brown while cooking.
Coffee with chicory – Chicory, from the dandelion family, dates back to Roman times. It was a favorite hot beverage before coffee. The French would use it as a substitute to stretch or replace coffee when supplies were low. During the Civil War, the importing of coffee dwindled. Confederate soldiers began using chicory to extend the coffee supply. The taste caught on, and still today, many Southerners drink a mixture of coffee and chicory.
Café au lait – is French for coffee with milk. They heat the milk separately before adding it to the coffee.
The King of Cakes
Kings Cake – is everywhere during the Mardi Gras season. Everyone eats it, and everyone has a different story about its history.
In truth, the cake was initially for the Epiphany festival at the end of the Christmas season. Used to call the Three Kings (Magi,) who visit the Christ Child. Hence, a baby in the cake. Through three hundred years, the tradition and the recipe have changed.
In Louisiana, starting on Epiphany (Three King’s Day,) residents begin holding parties built around the King Cake. However, it is less about Christmas past and more about the season of Mardi Gras ahead. Traditionally, they hide a small plastic or porcelain baby in the king cake, initially to symbolize baby Jesus. Today, it symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it in their slice of cake. Depending on who makes the rules, that person is king or queen for the night. They are also responsible for purchasing next year’s cake, throwing the next Mardi Gras party, or both.
Nowadays, most bakers leave the baby out of the cake and let the customer hide it. Why? Liability. Too many people choke or swallow the baby while eating a cake they know has a plastic baby in it.
There are hundreds of variations on the cake itself. The traditional version is more breadlike than cake (coffee cake) as the yeast dough rises before baking. While still warm, they drizzle a frosting of powdered sugar, water, and lemon juice over it. They sprinkle this with the colors of the Three Kings. Purple for justice, green for faith, and Gold for power. And the colors of Mardi Gras are?
Taste Louisiana Summary.
Where do you begin? First, remember there is more to the state than just New Orleans. New Orleans is the place for Creole, but does Arcadiana have better Cajun? What about central and northern Louisiana’s southern and soul food?
You must get out of the city to visit the Louisiana vineyards.
So try the rest of Louisiana. What you lose in crowds and flashy interiors, you make up for in down-home graciousness — not a bad trade-off.
And whatever you do, don’t call Cajun Creole.