Cajun
and Creole food is the product of southern Louisiana, a State situated in
the south of The United states of America. It has a sub tropical climate
with marshes and fertile delta lands as well as prairie and gentle rolling
hills. A large area of Louisiana is covered by water, made up of rivers,
including the Mississippi and Red Rivers and lakes as well as the many slow
moving bayous along costal areas which accounts for the popularity of fish,
seafood and other “water animals” in this cuisine.
Southern Louisiana's population is made up of the
original Native Indians, as well as the descendants of the many peoples who
settled here including French, Spanish, English, German, Acadians, West
Indians and Africans, all of whom have contributed to create the cuisine.
So, what’s the difference between
Creole and Cajun cooking? Many people who don’t live in Louisiana would say
“very little” however this isn’t a view held by many Southern Louisianans.
Some would say that Creole cooking is city food: a more refined
type of cuisine reflecting its close ties to the European aristocracy who
settled here (with their chefs) and that Cajun cuisine is country cooking,
illustrated by its many traditional one pot meals made up of whatever was to
hand by the people who originally settled in the more rural parts of the
area.
However, the two cuisines have melded over the years and many
traditional dishes and ingredients are now shared between the two. Gumbo and
Jambalaya are two such examples, both of which are eaten and cooked by
Creoles and Cajuns alike.
Past times and history
Creole Cuisine
Creole cuisine began with the European
settlers, many of whom were French, who arrived in New Orleans in the
1690’s. They were mostly aristocrats, often second sons, who took the
opportunity to further their fortunes in the New World as it was doubtful
that they would inherit land or titles in their native countries. These were
the founders of today’s Creole cuisine.
They took with them their European traditions
including their cuisine and the influences of classic European cooking are
still evident in many dishes. The French dish Bouillabaisse is said to be
the forebear of Gumbo, the Spanish dish Paella the predecessor of Jambalaya
and the use of charcuterie and sausages is attributed to the Germans.
The Native Indians soon introduced the settlers to new locally grown produce
such as corn, ground sassafras leaves (or file powder) and bay leaves and
the all important tomato was introduced from Central/South America.
The Creoles enjoyed a relatively affluent and elegant lifestyle, part of
which included having plenty of servants and workers. With the import of
African slaves, a further ingredient of Creole cuisine was added. The
Africans brought with them Okra seeds, the African name for which is Gumbo
which gave its name to the well known soup.
As many of these people worked in the
kitchens, their own cooking traditions crept into the cuisine. Also, with
the government of Louisiana switching from Spanish to French, these cooks
soon learnt the basics of both cuisines, but after a time the total
unification of European, African and Native Indian cooking occurred.
Cajun Cuisine
In contrast, the Cajuns were a much tougher
people, more used to arduous conditions. Originally called Acadians, Cajuns
were in effect refugees from the Acadia region in Canada. Mostly of French
peasant stock, they were forced to leave Nova Scotia in the 1700’s when
tensions grew between the French and the British in that region. Although
many originally landed in New Orleans, the Spanish rulers did not welcome
them to the city and promptly re-settled them to the more rural parts of
Louisiana.
Those who settled in the prairie regions soon discovered that the area was
ideally suited for cattle, and for them it was a boom time. A dual-class
system soon became established within the Cajun populous, with the farmers
and planters becoming the elite and adopting slavery in order to run their
ranches and plantations. As with the Creoles, the African element is
introduced to their cuisine.
However, for the many poor Cajuns who ended up settling in the unclaimed
swamp areas, life was to become very hard. Here they couldn’t raise
the crops which they were used to back in Acadia such as wheat, barley,
oats, turnips and cabbage, so their attentions were soon turned to mere
survival. Luckily the swamps and woods did provide the them with a variety
of wild foods including squirrel, wild turkey, alligator, frogs, fish and
shellfish. Hunting and trapping became part of the survival process.
Kitchen cookware consisted simply of a cast iron pot suspended over a fire
and the one-pot meal was the norm where whatever was available was thrown
in. Staple foods such as corn and cornmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, and rice
were supplemented with wild game.
As with the Creoles, over time Native American, African, Spanish and German
culinary influences were taken on board, although the abundant use of
seasonings such as cayenne often made for more spicy dishes than those of
the Creoles.
Current Day Cuisine
There was a time when Cajun and Creole
cooking were very distinct from each other, however today the general
flavour of both cuisines has drawn together quite closely, although
differences still occur.
Today Cajuns tend to eat a lot more pork especially in the guise of sausages
such as andouille and boudin and lots of crawfish when in season, whereas
Creole recipes are much more likely to use oysters, shrimp and crab meat.
Cajun cooking still tends to be spicy, though not always, whereas
Creole dishes, whilst rich and flavourful, are not generally so hot.
Creole cooking is still more complex. Apart from using a greater variety of
ingredients, the way it’s served is still reminiscent of the Grand European
style, consisting of several courses. Cajun cuisine on the other hand, tends
to be more robust and hearty and easily made in one pot.
Both cuisines utilise onions, green peppers, celery (the holy trinity) and
garlic but although they share recipes, sometimes the way in which they are
made are slightly different.
In short, it is almost impossible for non-Louisianans to decide whether
certain dishes have origins in Creole “city” cuisine or Cajun “country”
cooking – it’s a mixture - but one which has developed into possibly the
only true American cuisine.
