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to Ask the Chef
What is the
difference between Creole and Cajun cooking?
Most Louisianians claim
the answer is simple. Many Creoles were rich planters and their
kitchens aspired to grande cuisine. Their recipes came from France or
Spain as did their chefs. By using classic French techniques with
local foodstuffs, they created a whole new cuisine, Creole cooking.
On the other hand, the Acadians later contracted to Cajun, were a
tough people used to living under strenuous conditions. They tended to
serve strong country food prepared from locally available ingredients.
It was pungent, peppery and practical since it was all cooked in a
single pot. Thus Cajun cuisine was born.
While both cuisines are distinct, there are cross references. Rice is
a staple of both and Creole and Cajun chefs usually start dish by
making a roux of oil and flour. In addition, there are many common
ingredients such as crab, river shrimp, lake shrimp, oysters,
crawfish, freshwater and saltwater fish, plus squirrels, wild turkeys,
ducks, frogs, turtles, pork, homemade sausages, beans of all kinds,
tomatoes, okra, yams, pecans, oranges and wines, liqueurs and brandy.
There is one rule that both the Creoles and Cajuns agree upon and that
is that there is no one rule and no one recipe when it comes to
matters of food. For further reading, I suggest Chef John Folse's The
Evolution of Cajun & Creole Cuisine.
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