New Orleans, Louisiana – March 2001

Chowin’ Down
in the Big Easy

On a per capita basis, New Orleans has the most overweight population of any city in the United States. Its no wonder why – we love to eat. Eating is not just a part of nutritional satisfaction in New Orleans. It is entertaining, socializing, sensual, and exciting.

But Louisiana’s exotic foods have an interesting history, with influences from all around the world. Some of the dishes served on Decatur Street restaurants were created by Creoles and Cajuns in the depths of the surrounding swamps more than 200 years ago.

There is more to Cajun food than a little seasoning and spice.

Creoles were the offspring born to Europeans in New Orleans. First documented in 1718, they included native Americans, Spanish, French, English, African, Italian, and German. The culmination of cultures is apparent in the origins of many of the dishes. Gumbo is partly derived from the French dish bouillabaisse while Jambalaya comes from the Spanish dish paella. Sausage-making was perfected by the Germans, whose cattle produced a steady supply of milk and butter. Italians created pastries. Haitians brought exotic vegetables and cooking methods, while Native Americans introduced settlers to corn, ground sassafras leaves, and file powder. African Americans and descendants of slaves introduced the all-important okra in New Orleans cuisine. Creole food represents a history of the mixing and mingling of cultures in New Orleans.

Cajun cooking comes as a reflection of the ingenuity, creativity, and survival of the exiled French refugees. Coming from Nova Scotia in 1755, they were already at home in the world of survival and were pleased to make a home for themselves in the dreaded and dangerous swamps of Louisiana. Quickly befriending local Native Americans, they also found friendship with the Spanish and Germans as well. Armed with large, black iron pots, they utilized what was available in the area. The food was born out of survival, as they lived off the land with fish, shellfish, and wild game.

One of the trademarks of Cajun cooking are the "one-pot meals" such as jambalaya, grillade, stews, and gumbos, which were often cooked in large pots to feed groups of people. With the influence of the Germans, the Cajuns created andouille and boudin. When times got hard, the Cajuns scavenged the swamps for little creatures which at the time were considered the equivalent of eating rats, but they are now considered a delicacy: crawfish.

Until 1980, there really was not such a thing as "Cajun food". There were foods that Cajuns ate and places where Cajuns ate, but there wasn’t really a name for it. When a chef name Paul Proudhomme (K-Pauls) accidentally burned a fish, "blackened redfish" was born, and so was the wave of Cajun food that started to sweep the nation.

Restaurants opened all around the country, many by people who had not the slightest idea what "real" Cajun food really was. Regular entrees were made blackened, and dishes were caked in cayenne pepper. Then they called it "Cajun". Most dishes prepared by Cajuns have salt, black pepper, cayenne, and herbs – not chilies, jalapeños, and habañeros.

Finally, if one thing characterizes Cajun and Creole food, it is that it is not just a meal, but a "way of life".

There are festivals in Louisiana for almost every type of food: The Crawfish Fest (Breaux Bridge), The Shrimp Fest, The Strawberry Fest, The Catfish Fest, The Gumbo Fest, etc… Then there are the famous "cook-offs" such as the Gumbo Cook-Off, the Etoufee Cook-Off and many others.

When our doctors suggest we cut back on the fatty, spicy food, they usually get the same response: "You can pry my crawfish from my cold, dead hands!" So visitors, come to Louisiana with an empty stomach, and leave any "non-fat, sugar-free diet" philosophies at home. Your taste buds soon will take priority over everything else. In New Orleans, you’ll die with a full belly, and spice on your breath.

As if you aren’t hungry enough by now, in addition to this piece a Food section will soon be coming to the New Orleans Guide. Check back soon – but doing so on an empty stomach is something you do at your own risk.

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