Cajun Food History

History of Cajun Cuisine has been developed over the last 250 years. The full extent of information about Cajun food history, and how the history of Cajun Cuisine is a blend of Cajun and Creole recipes and techniques.

But it is true that Cajun Cuisine has taken many different paths, one influence after another, to evolve into a blend of natural spices that make it what it is today. 

Authentic Cajun Food is not necessarily too hot. Most replica Cajun food is everywhere, except Louisiana are too pricey. 

It is one thing to add a little "kick" for a meal. It is something completely different than getting a "kick" for a meal without making it too hot. This is where the Cajun way to mix different herbs for added 'kick' comes into play, the 'authentic Cajun Foods' authentic. 

The Heritage and Culture in Cajun People has been under development since the 1700s, when the U.S. from Canada, first settling in Louisiana. 

Along with other immigrants, Germans, French, English, Creole, Africans, Mexicans, and they have all played a role in the composition and evolution of Cajun Cuisine. 

Each ethnic group of people helped with anything that makes Cajun Food History so interesting. This makes Cajun Cuisine so distinct and robust. 

Is there a difference? 

So what is the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking? Almost all who do not live in southern Louisiana would probably say very little difference. 

Some would argue that Creole cooking is city food: a more refined form of cuisine reflecting its close ties with the European aristocracy who settled here (with their chefs). 

Cajun cooking is country cooking, illustrated by the many traditional one pot meals consisting of what was at hand, as the people who originally settled in the more rural parts of the area. Let us compare the two kitchens. 

Creole Cuisine 

Cajun Cuisine 

Louisiana has a geographical difference from most areas. It has a sub tropical climate with bogs and fertile soil, its Prairie soils with gently rolling hills, miles of rivers and bayous, coastal, land and swamps. With this diverse amount of geography at its disposal, it is no wonder that Cajun Cuisine stands alone compared to all other foods. 

A large area of Louisiana is covered in wetlands, which increase the popularity of seafood and fish as one of the Cajun diet. The climate and wetter conditions than most other areas, helping to make sugar cane, soybeans and rice production a major agricultural industry in Louisiana. Which of course is that the cause of rice can be found in many different recipes and Cajun dishes, because it is so plentiful here? 

Creole Cuisine: 

It is said that Creole cooking tends to be handed down from the European settlers in the 1690's. These aristocrats, mostly French, or second sons moved here to Louisiana to acquire their own land and fortune. 

It was unclear whether they would receive an inheritance of land or titles, if they would have stayed in their home countries. They arrived in Louisiana with their chefs. 

They ended their European traditions, including their kitchen and their classic European cooking. These were the founders of Creole cuisine. 

So what is the difference between Creole and Cajun Cuisine? Both of them are a product of southern Louisiana. 

The Creole had a relatively affluent and elegant lifestyle, part of which contains lots of employees and workers. Creole cuisine was brought from Europe by the aristocrats, along with classic European cooking. 

The Creole cuisine was created when the first European occupation of Louisiana in 1682 by the Frenchman La Salle. Of the eighteenth century, trade was active and spices from the Caribbean were easily obtainable in the French market. The Creole culture (originally 'Criolle "which means" native born ") appeared in this setting. 

These influences are evident in many dishes, which exist today. Their kitchen was a combination of old French food and their employees versions of these meals. 

The old classic French dish, Bouillabaisse, regarded as the forerunner of Cajun Gumbo. The Spanish dish, Paella, regarded as an early version of Jambalaya. The use of cold cuts and sausages is attributed to the Germans. 

The Indians of Louisiana introduced the settlers here are locally grown products of corn, because Sassafras leaves (or file 'powder) and bay leaves. 

"File", pronounced "Filet", like fish, are all important ingredient added to Gumbo, which is a spice originated in Louisiana. The all important tomato was introduced from Central and South America. 

With the added benefit of African slaves, another ingredient of Creole cuisine was enhanced. The Africans brought okra seeds, the African name is Gumbo, which gave its name to the famous soup. 

To have several different ethnic cooks in Creole's kitchens, it was inevitable that they earn their own cooking traditions crept into the kitchen. With all these different styles of cooking, it was quickly learned and adopted by these workers and evolves over time to

create the Creole kitchen. 

Even with the Louisiana government switches from Spanish to French, the total integration of European, African and native Indian cooking emerged. 

Cajun Cuisine: 

In contrast to the Creole, Cajun was a much tougher people. Most of the French peasant stock market, these people have fallen victim to the English being exiled from their homeland in Canada. These were once American farmers. 

They grew wheat, barley, oats, turnips and cabbage. They originally settled in and around New Orleans, but the reigning Spanish government does not welcome them with hospitality. Instead, they were immediately moved to the more rural areas in Louisiana. Here they are split into two factions. 

There were people who settled the prairie areas in Louisiana. Wheat, oats and barley that they were accustomed to growing did not grow well in Louisiana's climate. These people found that the soil was suitable for raising cattle. 

With climate and Bountiful amounts of rain, but they also found that cultivation of crops like sugar cane, rice and soybeans was easy to implement. So this new breed of people were elite and the adoption of slavery, to run their vast plantations and cattle ranches. Like the Creole, with slavery in the African component was introduced and melted in their kitchen. 

The second fraction of the U.S., which takes place in and around the marshes of Louisiana, found life to be much harder than their colleagues on the prairie. Swamps offered no land to cultivate the crops they were accustomed to grow. 

Instead, they adapted and learned that the swamps were full of Bountiful varieties of wild foods, as squirrels, wild turkey, alligators, frogs, fish and shellfish. Hunting and fishing were a part of their survival process. 

The reason for the Cajun people do not chase and catch the Nutria Rat back in those days because Rat Nutria (Myocastor coypus), was introduced in Louisiana until the 1930th 

The nutria, or a beaver pond, is vegetarian, and it really is not a rat at all. It has only two predators: Alligators and MAN. It was introduced from Argentina. 

It was considered only a nuisance, until the 1950s when the coat was a valuable commodity for clothing in Europe. Today is not only trapped for its valuable fur, but also because it is meat. 

Believe it or not, Nutria is a good tasting meat. Recipes for Nutria can be found. But as "Rat" is the name and the recipe's name is spelled backwards, namely 'Tariartun. " 

Their cooking utensils were scarce in relation to Creole. They used a cast iron pot suspended over a fire, and the one-pot meal, the normal cooking process. 

Originally, Cajun meals were bland, and almost all food was cooked. The development of Roux gave more vitality and flavor to cooked dishes. 

Rice was used to stretch out meals to feed large families. The bountiful quantities of rice were suitable for these one-pot meals. 

Basic foodstuffs like maize and cornmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, pumpkins, okra and rice were also supplemented with wild game. They have also raised livestock (pork and beef), and grew fruits like figs, satsumas (a series of orange), plums and grapes pecans. 

As with Creole sometimes Indian, African and Spanish culinary influence was taken on board. The abundant use of spices such as cayenne often done in more savory dishes than Creole. 

Synthesis helped fusing all these different ethnic groups of people influence Cajun Cuisine, which makes it different from ordinary "Southern food." 

Cajun cuisine is basically a poor cousin of Creole. Today, more spices and hear the silence than Creole, uses more of the regional variation in Louisiana than from Creole foods brought here through trade. 

Some of the more popular Cajun dishes include many sausages as andouille and Boudin, Jambalaya and more gumbo and etoufee. The most popular symbol of Cajun food is lobster, but until forty years ago, was mainly used as lobster bait. 

These days Cuisine: 

When the difference between Creole and Cajun were very different. But today's edition of these two unique cultures grown very similar. But there are still differences between the two. For example, 

Today, Cajun tend to eat more pork, especially in the form of sausages and lots of crawfish in season. The Creole recipes are much more likely to use oysters, shrimp and crab meat. 

Cajun cooking still tends to be spicy, but not always, while Creole cuisine, while the rich and tasteful, is generally not so hot. 

Creole cooking is still more complex. They use a larger quantity of ingredients and the way it is served, is still reminiscent of the great European style, which consists of several courses. Creole cooking also uses more tomato in their recipes than Cajun. Cajun cuisine on the other hand, tend to be more robust and quick and easy in a saucepan. 

Both Cajun and Creole cuisines use onions, green peppers, celery (the holy trinity) and garlic. Although they share recipes, sometimes the way they are made slightly different. 

Today, the differences between the two cuisines are not so very different, but more the way they are put together that makes the difference. The Cajun Cuisine has really evolved into possibly the only true American cuisine.