The Creole and Cajun cultures are quite distinct and so are
their cuisines. The first Creoles were documented in Mobile and Baldwin County,
Alabama in the early 1700s, Natchitoches and New Orleans followed in 1714 and
1718 respectively. The Creoles were the offspring born of the European
aristocrats, wooed by the Spanish to establish Mobile and New Orleans in the
early 1690s, and the native population. Second-born sons, who could not own
land or titles in their native countries, were offered the opportunity to live
and prosper in their family traditions here in the New World. It is believed
the word Creole can be traced to one of two origins. First, the old Spanish
word "Criallo" meaning a mixture of cultures or color such as in the
word Crayola. Secondly, from the Latin word "Creare" meaning to
create as in creating a new race. Today, the term Creole represents the native
born children of the intermarriage of the early cultures settling the South.
These include the Native American, French, Spanish, English, African, German
and Italian and further defines the cuisine that came from this intermarriage.
The original Acadian immigrants came to Nova Scotia from
France beginning in 1620. They were primarily from Brittany, Normandy, Picardy
and Poitou. These fishermen and farmers had learned how to adjust, survive and
make a life for themselves in Acadie. When the French were exiled from Nova
Scotia; and the refugees began arriving in South Louisiana from Canada in 1755,
they were already well-versed in the art of survival. Following their exile,
these French Catholics found a new home compatible with their customs and
religion. Once again, they were faced with the task of survival. Armed with
their black iron pots, the Cajuns, as they had come to be known, utilized what
was indigenous to the area. No attempt was made to recreate the classical
cuisine of Europe. None of the exotic spices and ingredients available to the
Creoles was to be found by the Cajuns in Bayou country. They were happy to live
off the land, a land abundant with fish, shellfish and wild game.
The influences of classical and regional French, Spanish,
German and Italian cooking are readily apparent in Creole cuisine. The
terminologies, precepts, sauces and major dishes were carried over, some with
more evolution than others, and provided a solid foundation for Creole cooking.
Bouillabaisse is a soup that came from the Provence region
of France in and around Marseilles. This dish is integral to the history of
Creole food because of the part it played in the creation of gumbo.
The Spanish, who actually played host to this new adventure,
gave Creole food its spice, many great cooks and paella, which was the
forefather of Louisiana's jambalaya. Paella is the internationally famous
Spanish rice dish made with vegetables, meats and sausages. On the coastline,
seafoods were often substituted for meats. Jambalaya has variations as well,
according to the local ingredients available at different times of the year.
The Germans who arrived in 1725 were knowledgeable in all
forms of charcuterie and helped establish the boucherie and fine sausage
making. They brought with them not only pigs, but chicken and cattle as well. A
good steady supply of milk and butter was seldom available prior to the arrival
of the Germans.
The Italians were famous for their culinary talents. They
were summoned to France by Catherine de Medicis to teach their pastry and ice
cream making skills to Europeans. Many Creole dishes reflect the Italian
influence and their love of good cooking.
From the West Indies and the smoke pots of Haiti came exotic
vegetables and cooking methods. Braising, a slow-cooking technique, contributed
to the development of our gumbos. Mirlitons, sauce piquantes and the use of
tomato rounded out the emerging Creole cuisine.
Native Indians, the Choctaws, Chetimaches and Houmas,
befriended the new settlers and introduced them to local produce, wildlife and
cooking methods. New ingredients, such as corn, ground sassafras leaves or file
powder and bay leaves from the laurel tree all contributed to the culinary
melting pot.
It would be remiss if we failed to mention the tremendous
influence of "the black hand in the pot" in Creole cooking. The
Africans brought with them the "kin gumbo" or okra plant from their
native soil which not only gave name to our premier soup, but introduced a new
vegetable to South Louisiana. Even more importantly, African Americans have
maintained a significant role in development of Creole cuisine in the home as
well as the professional kitchen.
Creole cuisine, then, is that melange of artistry and
talent, developed and made possible by the nations and cultures who settled in
the South Coastal areas. Those of us, who know and love it, keep it alive by
sharing it with the world.
Cajun cuisine is characterized by the use of wild game,
seafoods, wild vegetation and herbs. From their association with the Indians,
the Cajuns learned techniques to best utilize the local products from the
swamps, bayous, lakes, rivers and woods. Truly remarkable are the variations
that have resulted from similar ingredients carefully combined in the black
iron pots of the Cajuns. Jambalaya, grillades, stews, fricassees, soups,
gumbos, sauce piquantes and a host of stuffed vegetable dishes are all
characteristic of these new Cajun "one pot meals."
