2021 is here, and I’m starting it off by making a culinary New Year’s resolution. Here in Louisiana, we love to eat, and for the coming year, I resolve to eat local and buy local whenever possible. And to ensure Cajun authenticity, I am revisiting my “Signs You Are Eating Real Cajun Food.”
You see, in every culinary culture, there are certain misconceptions and downright mistakes that, if allowed to perpetuate, will work to erode the authenticity and traditional foundation of the cuisine. Our precious Cajun culinary heritage – the most treasured of American cuisines – has been under siege since the blackened craze of the 1980s. Just go to any American city, and you’ll find a Cajunized dish chock-a-block full of cayenne or a watered-down, soupy mess of a so-called gumbo.
Stop the madness.
Click this logo and search a comprehensive listing of authentic Louisiana food products. (Photo credit: Louisiana Dept of Ag)
To help define our cuisine’s authenticity, the folks at the Louisiana Department of Agriculture created the Certified Louisiana program. This designation assures consumers that the products they are buying have been screened and are truly Louisiana-based food companies. I urge you to look for food products bearing the Certified Louisiana or Certified Cajun logo in supermarkets everywhere.
The Certified Cajun logo assures that you are buying an authentic Cajun product.
But that’s only the start. Here at Acadiana Table, I am launching a grassroots consumer movement that will establish official policies and procedures for what is, and what isn’t real Cajun food. I know. I know. This is sure to meet with some resistance, and controversy is inevitable, but the dialog must begin. The objective will be to develop guidelines and the tell-tale signs that our culinary heritage is under attack. But, I need your input. I will start the discussion, but I want to know what you think and whether you agree or disagree. Here’s my list of things to look for, so please comment and add yours to the list.
#1 More flavor, less heat.
Real Cajun food is not overly spiced. It lures you in with a depth of flavor and well-balanced spices that are unmistakable. Heavy-handed cayenne is how chefs outside of Louisiana interpret Cajun.
Why do you think the bottle of hot sauce is on the table?
Hot sauce on the table for extra spice.
#2 No tomatoes in the gumbo.
That’s right. You might find tomato in a citified New Orleans Creole gumbo, but not a true Cajun gumbo. Deep dark roux and quality ingredients for sure, but no tomatoes.
Seafood gumbo with shrimp and crab, but no tomatoes.
#3 Andouille, tasso, and chaurice, but never bratwurst.
Cajuns have a sausage language that is unmistakable and unmistakably delicious. Anything ending in “wurst” is the worst mistake you can make.
#4 Crawfish, not crayfish.
This is the dead giveaway. If you see “crayfish” on the menu, run as fast as you can.
Platter of CRAWFISH, not crayfish!
#5 It’s toe-tappin’, two-steppin’, foot-stompin’ food.
Like no other, Cajun food comes with a chank-a-chank soundtrack that makes the food taste even better.
Cajun food is food you can dance to.
#6 No soup in my étouffée.
There is a trendy little recipe going around that adds mushroom soup to the classic crawfish étouffée. This must be stopped at all costs. Notify the authorities at once.
No soup in this étouffée, just fresh crawfish, vegetables and butter.
#7 No crawfish on ice.
A steaming, hot tray of just out-of-the-pot crawfish is divine, but I once ordered boiled crawfish in a fancy big city restaurant and a dozen whole crawfish came out on a platter of ice. Blasphemous!
One of hundreds of boiling joints across Acadiana.
#8 Boudin is not spelled Boudain.
C’mon, Texas. If you love our food so much then learn how to spell it.
Boudin (not boudain) is the link to all things Cajun.
#9 White Rice Is Always On The Table.
White rice is king! Cajuns love their rice, and a pot of steaming Louisiana white rice is sure to make
an appearance at most every occasion.
Supreme Rice – white rice grown in Acadiana.
#10 Red beans on Monday, Catfish on Friday and Ice-Cold Beer any day of the week.
Cajuns love tradition and the Holy order of things in the universe.
Fridays are for fish.
#11 Louisiana yams! The sweetest potato of all.
Yam right! Cajuns love their sweet potatoes, and you’re sure to see them on the dinner table often.
A stack of Beauregards from St. Landry Parish.
So, this is just the start. I’ve got dozens more, and I want to hear from you. Do you agree? Disagree? And more importantly, help me add to the list with your authentic Cajun suggestions. Let the discussion begin.
Amen to each of these!
I grew up in Mamou and had plenty of okra gumbo but it certainly isn’t necessary unless that is to your liking. I have seen crossword puzzle clues that go something like “vegetable found in gumbo” and the four letter response is, of course, okra. That leads me to believe that, outside of Louisiana, there may be the misconception that gumbo must have okra. So you may want to add that to your list. But your list so far is spot on.
Hey Robbie-
Good suggestion. I agree that most outsiders think a gumbo is not a gumbo unless it is full of okra. I make a shrimp and okra gumbo, but do not add it to any other version.
Same!
I agree, you’ll find no okra or tomatoes in my gumbo, and I live in Michigan.
Love the idea! Keeping Cajun and Louisiana cooking heritage alive is one of our top prioritys. At Justin Wilson Southern Products we follow a more flavor, less salt with a perfect balance of heat recipe. Justin was about flavor and loved cooking and sharing. We are happy to help any way we can, hope to hear from you soon, We Garontee. Justinwilson.com.
Gumbo literally means okra. I’m not a big fan of okra in general, but technically speaking, making gumbo without okra is the same as making a hot dog without a weiner. That said, I have made a gumbo like substance without okra quite a few times.
Well Mike, you have NOT tasted a GREAT GUMBO w/o OKRA bc if you had, I Guarantee that you would NOT want to go back to JUST an Okra Gumbo!
Chicken/Sausage, Seafood w/o Fish & ALL Gumbo w/o Tomato!
Gumbo is the African word for okra.
I agree with your list. Thank you for starting this.
Please do not mix seafood with chicken and sausage in a gumbo. Please do not both add okra and fillet powder to a gumbo, one or the other. They are thickening agents. If South Carolina has Carolina Gold rice, Thailand has jasmin rice, what do we have in Louisiana? Not that talc-covered mess!
Hey David-
Good input. I sometimes add smoked sausage to my seafood gumbo, but I agree that a chicken and sausage gumbo should be pure. As for rice, several years back a new strain of Louisiana jasmine rice was developed by LSU Ag. It is a terrific product. All the best.
Yet that’s what they do in Shreveport, mix chicken and seafood. It’s weird, but quite a few food items in Shreveport are one of a kind. Shreveport Stuffed shrimp, anyone?
David, you are totally correct! The Only seafood I add is Dried Shrimp! It gives the Gumbo an extra POP!
I was born and raised in the River Parishes and now live in Florida. I am still trying to learn people here about real Cajun cuisine. I walk into some places and am almost insulted by the things they are trying to pass as Cajun. I usually laugh at the descriptions, then order something else.
Met a woman from Nashville who claimed to have a friend from “New Orleeens” who swore to her the real gumbo was made with 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, 1 jar of taco sauce and 1 lb of shrimp. My friends and I tried to explain to her that he was just putting her on but she wouldn’t have it. Said she’d tried the “recipe” and it was delicious…..to each his own.
Hey Carine-
Funny how our cuisine is misinterpreted. Even professional big-city chefs outside of Louisiana miss the mark and wind up confusing consumers on what real Louisiana food should taste like. But once they make a trip to our state and sample it for themselves, they have a culinary revelation. That is why our state’s tourism is a $6 billion dollar industry; our food keeps them coming back for more. All the best.
That sounds like Nashville city folk. They are far removed from the food chain and will put horrid dill pickle slices on pulled pork bbq sandwiches.
I couldn’t agree more! And here’s a reason why…
A quick background on myself. I’m a descendant of the Olivier De Vezin’s from St. Martinville and a direct descendant of the Landry family. Landry’s, Don’s, Wille G’s, Magnolia Bar & Grill, etc etc. I grew up with great Cajun recipes. I’m a serious Cajun food critic.
Now, back in the late 80s, I was working as a contractor on the new opening of Landry’s restaurant in Corpus Christ. The current owner, T.F. (I won’t spell out his name here), had just finished buying the chain from my grandmother’s cousins. The owner of my company told T.F. that I came from the Landry branch after I told him to never tell anybody.
T.F. came up to me and told me he heard which family I was from and gave me the opportunity to ask him any question I wanted to, if I had one. My only question, “Why does Landry’s food taste like s*** since you bought it?” Yes, sometimes I’m an unfiltered Cajun, especially about the food.
His answer speaks directly as to why this project should continue. He answered, “That’s the problem with the Landrys. Y’all think it’s about the food. It’s not. It’s about the name ‘Landry’s’. People in New York, Los Angeles and in between have no idea what Cajun food tastes like unless they’ve been to Louisiana. I’m going to introduce to them to my version of Cajun food and that will become the standard.”
This conversation happened before he had a chance to expand the chain. He did exactly as he said he was going to. He has now tainted the culinary cuisine I love so much across the nation using my family’s name. I guess you can say I have a problem with this. It’s an absolute embarrassment.
Yes, I agree. Keep this project moving forward!
R.C. – I bet that made you spittin’ mad. A real shame.
Junebug, you bet it did. After 20 yrs I still hold onto that grudge. I’m a Cajun with a long memory.
I’m from Morgan City, home of The Original Landry’s Restaurant, and I live in Houston, Tx… where T.F. has made his mark with the Landry’s brand. I know the difference and I miss the original Landry’s!
Michelle, I know that location well. Yes, he’s made a mark that will outlive all of us, unfortunately. I give him credit for building a successful empire, however, it comes at the cost of true Cajun cuisine.
I was born and raised in New Orleans and have traveled the state of Louisiana both for business and personal reasons and lived on Grand Isle for a number of years. You know it is not only the places outside of Louisiana that cook Cajun wrong. If trying to impress tourists with how hot Cajun food can be, it’s all wrong. I was in a well-known restaurant in Lafayette and in New Orleans that had so much cayenne in the food that I called the chef out to talk to him. Once you get a mouth full of overspiced food it is difficult to taste anything after that. It ruins the whole culinary experience. Keep up the GREAT work!
Thanks Kelly.
Popeyes Chicken is from Louisiana, so is Tabasco sauce, and it should be everywhere because I put it on everything I eat.
Hey Steven – You are correct: A bottle of Tabasco on the table is a familiar Louisiana ingredient and shows up everywhere. Thanks for the comment.
Tru dat! Born and raised in Abbeville,LA., and I order my sausages every month. Ain’t nothing like the real thing. Ever made a gumbo with Hillshire Farms? It’s horrible. The real ingredients make it what it is.
Forgot to include I live in Florida now so I have to order all my specialty meats etc.
The mushroom soup for etouffee has to be the Golden Mushroom with lots of butter. It just adds a little extra flavor. Spoken like a true non-Cajun, right??!! Love your recipes, George.
Gumbo is actually derived from the word okra which is why it was always believed that gumbo in fact was made with okra. Its a good thickening agent to use unless you’re using file.
I really appreciate this article and the movement. I totally agree! If I am purchasing a product that states that it is authentic, then I want to believe that is true.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It is, however, maddening that the imitations are so very poor. Most Cajun recipes take time…..time to make the roux, and time to allow the flavors to develop. You have to put the gumbo on in the morning and let it hang out on the stove all day and most recipes require more than 30 minutes. In today’s homes and even restaurants no one is willing to take the time to develop the flavor properly. Therefore, they resort to cayenne, or mushroom soup (makes me sick thinking of that one). This is a great article and something that should be talked about more often to encourage people to try the real thing. Once you eat it right, you won’t go back to the overly spiced imitations.
Hey KG – You said a mouthful there. And I could not agree more. Thanks.
I applaud your mission to keep the Cajun food culture pure . I grew up in Atlanta where my exposure to Cajun food was limited to Campbell’s Soup canned gumbo . Not a great starting point to learn to appreciate real Cajun food but it was enough to arouse my curiosity about the cuisine even as a child . Years later I married my wife who grew up in New Orleans and then Lafayette and we moved to Lafayette immediately . I was blessed to live in the area for 11 years and fell in love with the food there . We’ve eaten crawfish in Breaux Bridge , frog legs in Mamou , oysters at Dupuy’s and Black’s in Abbeville . I was lucky enough to get to hunt duck in Vermillion Parish a few times and bring home a couple of mallard or a pin tail or a teal for gumbo . I’ve caught 4 pound snapper offshore and bought shrimp right off the boat in Delcambre just 4 miles south of my final stay in the area . Unfortunately the oil bust of the late 80s forced us to move to Nashville in search of work which put us in a Cajun food desert . I can still make a decent Gumbo but I’ve had to resort to making my own Andouille sausage and a seafood gumbo is almost impossible to duplicate . The main problem is freshness (mainly ) and cost of the ingredients associated with the extreme transportation distance from the source . Solve that problem and Cajun food would rule the culinary world everywhere .
Thanks Tim for your valuable insight.
My dad was Cajun although I grew up in the north and currently live in Wisconsin. I remember visiting relatives in Destrehan. My grandmother and aunt were wonderful cooks. I compare everything to what I grew up with and nothing outside of New Orleans compares. I won’t eat Cajun anywhere else. I recently visited NO. There were certain dishes I had that I told my family “tasted like New Orleans”. It is a flavor I cannot describe or even know what it is, but I only find it in NO. Some day I will visit Lafayette and see if I find it there. I am confident I will.
Hey Linda- There are substantial differences in the food of New Orleans and the rural Cajun country of Acadiana. Come on over and give it a try. I think you’ll love both. You’ll appreciate the differences as well as applaud the similarities. It makes living (and eating) in Louisiana so tasty. All the best.
That would be correct on all aspects
Thanks David.
I agree 100% with all of the Cajun guidelines.
Hey Denise – Thanks so much, and please feel free to add to the list. All the best to you.
I Love this. I was raised in South Louisiana all my life. Cajun cooking is great. But, if you are not sure of the process, please ask someone who is. I have traveled to the northern states and what they call Cajun food is not the case. Please keep this going it truly does need some attention.
Thanks Shelby.
I applaud your mission! I am a native New Mexican, and I have seen first hand how our great traditional recipes have been bastardized by the rest of the world. For the last 8 years I have worked for a company based in Lafayette, and visit frequently, so I have been immersed in Cajun culture and cuisine for some time. I have found that the only way to get that authentic Cajun taste is to actually visit Acadiana! It is just one of the most wonderful, delicious, satisfying cusines on the planet, and almost all establishments that pass themselves off as “Cajun cuisine” pale in comparison. So, from one who understands the frustration of others trying to co-opt what’s dear to you, and one who truly appreciates authentic Cajun cuisine, I look forward to more of your insights!
Rd Stendel-Freels – Thanks so much for your comment and insight. All the best.
Most all cajuns including myself all use medium grain rice for everything not long grain like #9 says.
Hey KB-
You are correct that many folks in South Louisiana use medium grain. I love them both. All the best.
Sometimes you have to use what you can scrounge. Isn’t that how Cajun food began? I’ve baked Spanish chorizo to harden it up when making gumbo in Amsterdam, and it’s passable.
Tomatoes in “Cajun” gumbo, though? That’s just wrong.
Agree fully on all fronts! So tired of seeing “Cajun” food advertised simply because it has extra heat. Didn’t know about the soup in etouffee but no. Just no.
Hey Judy – Thanks for the comments and great to hear from you. All the best.
Ok…I grew up in Mamou too. As far as gumbo goes you are right… only okra gumbo had okra in it along with chicken, smoked sausage from a specialty shop such as Teets, T- Boys or another local shop that does it by hand. You can order it online, too. You can add tasso, too. Okra gumbo does not use roux either but regular gumbo does. You can make roux from scratch but there are companies such as Kary’s and Savoy’s that sell good jar rouxs. Their “Cajun trinity,” as I like to call it, that we use are yellow onion, fresh parsley and green onion and your choice of Cajun seasoning. I agree that we like to use medium grain rice. You can substitute wild duck in place of chicken also.
I won’t even consider eating at a Cajun restaurant more than 100 miles outside the Louisiana state lines, unless I know for a fact that the restaurant is owned by a person from south Louisiana!
I have to tell you I lived most of my youth in Ponchatoula, and that red beans on Monday, catfish on Friday thing, sorry to say, wasn’t a thing. We had red beans almost everyday and catfish whenever we caught it. Other than that, I am so happy that a lot of these things were brought out especially the tomatoes in the gumbo.
Hey Sidney – Lucky you! Red beans and fried catfish are two iconic Louisiana dishes, and growing up eating it often is truly a blessing. All the best.
I sometimes experiment with roasted okra ground up to use as a base.
Along with a little file’, it comes out pretty decent. Have you tried chicken and sausage gumbo made this way?
Daniel – No, I haven’t tried it. I thicken my gumbo with roux; I love the flavor it brings to the pot. All the best.
New Orleanian here! We DO NOT PUT TOMATOES in the gumbo. Blasphemy!
I am a Landry from New Iberia, and I’d like you to add that big chunks of the holy trinity in gumbo, etouffee, etc. is not how we do it. The pieces are cooked to blend in to create the rich flavor and are not distinguishable.
Hey Marjie- Good point: The trinity (onion, celery and bell pepper) are for seasoning only and are always finely diced. Thanks for the comment.
I love this but not all Texans misspell Boudin. I’m Texas born and bred and I’ve never seen it spelled any other way.
Great list.
I am a Soileau from Ville Platte. I have seen the blasphemers since living in Austin since 30 years old. But I have also seen them in New Iberia, Morgan City (mushroom soup). Gumbo Hibiscus = Okra. Cajun gumbo ain’t just okra! I live 2 blocks from a Nigerian restaurant in Pflugerville Tx. We tried the Gumbo. What a slimy mess of okra. They didn’t get the memo. And San Antonio, leave the oregano out of the out of the boil. Gross! Texans still spell it boudain. It’s like a warning label for me. HEB has a great boudin and a bad one. One is Cajun Hollar, no good. The other is DJ’s, really good.
You are spot on with all points. Thank you. I shouldn’t tell y’all but, gonna drive the prices up, T’Boys in Eunice and T’Mamou now sell online!!!