INTRODUCTION

Cajun and Creoles are different peoples (see our entry on the issue here) who produce different cuisines. Unfortunately, thanks to lazy marketing and geographic isolation, most people lump Cajun and Creole into one…well, pot.

Don’t do dat! Recap: the Cajuns are descendants of the Acadians, French-Canadian refugees from Nova Scotia who came to Louisiana in the 1700s. They settled in the rural prairies and bayous, and their cuisine remains rustic, hearty, deceptively simple and delicious. Although seafood is a cherished part of the Cajun diet, life near the prairie and an influx of sausage-loving German immigrants in the 1800s means the Cajuns have really mastered the arts of smoking meat, butchery and charcuterie.

‘Creole’ describes the mixed French and Spanish population of New Orleans and their descendants. During the 18th and much of the 19th century, it was also a name for people of African descent born in Louisiana (especially New Orleans). While these two definitions of Creole are distinct, they essentially share a cuisine, a cosmopolitan, rich method of cookery that finds inspiration in France, Spain, Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, the bayou and lots of butter. In general, Creole food is more seafood-oriented than Cajun cuisine, with arguably more complex preparation methods.