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Photo by SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent), via Creative Commons
Cajun-style gumbo, with chicken and sausage

Cajun-style gumbo, with chicken and sausage

Photo by jytyl, via Creative Commons

Southern Glossary: Cajun vs. Creole

No, they are NOT the same thing.

by Abu Musa | March 31, 2010

3 Comments

When people think of Louisiana, especially South Louisiana, they think Cajun and Creole. Many people use the terms interchangably (heck, even our own Trip Planner classifies restaurants as "Cajun & Creole"), but they shouldn't. Both Cajun and Creole culture is influenced by the French colonization of the New World, but their similarities end there.

A quick history lesson: In the 17th Century, the French built colonies in Acadia, an area that is today the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, a small piece of Quebec, and a bit of Maine. The British took control of Acadia in 1713, but the settlers continued living there peacefully until 1754, when the French and Indian War broke out. The British, worried that the Acadians would rebel and fight against them with the French, expelled the Acadians from Canada, sending them to British colonies all over North America between 1755 and 1763. Of 23,000 Acadians kicked out by the British, only about 10,000 survived what has come to be called Le Grand Dérangement (the great disturbance).

Many French Acadians fled to Louisiana, which was a French colony at the time (a secret treaty ceded Louisiana to Spain in 1762, but the Acadians didn't know that yet). Their descendants are today's Cajuns. ("Cajun" is how you pronounce acadien in Cajun French). Cajun culture is predominantly influenced by its French-Canadian roots—the fiddle and accordion dominate Cajun music, and Cajuns speak a dialect of French—but intermarriage with Native Americans, European immigrants, and other cultures added distinct elements, too.  Cajun culture is strongest in Acadiana, a region of southwest Louisiana that stretches from just west of New Orleans to the Texas border and includes Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles.

Creoles, on the other hand, are city folk. The word "Creole" originally referred to a white person of European lineage who had been born in a New World colony, but the definition gradually grew to include people of mixed descent. Louisiana Creoles come primarily from New Orleans; their culture is a mix of the refined French influence of wealthy colonists, the Afro-Caribbean heritage of their slaves, and other elements, including Native American culture and the Irish, Italian, and German immigrants who came to New Orleans in the 19th Century.

When it comes to food, there's a lot Cajun and Creole share: Local ingredients like rice, alligator, shrimp, and crawfish; using roux (a paste of flour and fat) to thicken soups and sauces; and seasonings like garlic and cayenne pepper. But there's also a lot that makes them distinct.

As much of Acadiana is rural, Cajun food is rustic, country food—hearty stews, meats preserved by smoking or curing, and lots of corn and rice. Classic Cajun dishes include boudin, a sausage made of pork and rice; jambalaya, a stew of rice and really any type of meat; and maque choux, a sauté of corn, bell pepper, tomato, and onion.

Creole dishes, on the other hand, tend to be more elaborate and take longer to prepare, reflecting their urban roots. Classic Creole dishes include turtle soup, red beans and rice, dirty rice, and remoulade, a tangy mustard-and-mayonnaise sauce often paired with shrimp.

Gumbo is made by both Cajun and Creole cooks, but they make it differently: Cajun gumbo is often darker in color, thickened with filé powder (powdered sassafras leaves, an ingredient borrowed from Native American cooking) and made with chicken and sausage, while Creole gumbo is often lighter, thickened with okra (which was brought by slaves from Africa) and made with seafood like shrimp and crab.

If you're looking for Cajun food, there's no better place to go for an introduction than Prejean's in Lafayette—plus you'll hear some live Cajun music too! In New Orleans, Cochon takes Cajun to the stratosphere with James Beard Award-winning chef Donald Link's reimagining of the dishes of his Cajun Country childhood.

New Orleans also offers countless Creole options, varying pretty widely in quality. Asking a local (or Insider Sharon McDonnell) for recommendations is your best bet. Having lived in New Orleans for nearly five years, I have some personal favorites: the legendary Commander's Palace, gorgeous French Quarter spot Court of Two Sisters, and funky Uptown joint Jacques-Imo's.


3 Comments

Mallory

March 31, 2010 - 10:25 pm

Great article, Jason! And now I’m craving cajun food….

Mikey

March 27, 2011 - 8:30 pm

Great article! I was also impressed that you suggested Prejean’s for Cajun food. I would also add that Mulate’s Cajun Restaurants are a great way to see the difference between Cajun and Creole foods. Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge (just outside of Lafayette) has great Cajun food and atmosphere, while Mulate’s Cajun Restaurant in New Orleans is actually Creole.

Mikey

March 27, 2011 - 10:16 pm

I did have one correction to your article. Cajun country actually stretches all the way into Southeast Texas. Beaumont, Pt. Arthur, Orange, and the surrounding towns are all loaded with Arcenauxs, Breauxs, Sartins, Benoits, Heberts, Landrys, Melancons, and Thériots (not to mention the ever popular Boudreaux and Thibodeaux families). If we don’t put up signs reminding travelers that they’re in Texas they might think they are still in Louisiana!



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