Cajun Food Research Paper

The Cajun American culinary originated from Louisiana and started to flourish through its French roots and also British roots also creole. The word “Cajun” was not always as is, it came from the word “Acacadien” according to Manythings.org. Cajun came from settlers who were named Cajuns and really had influential spices and ways of cooking their food. There are many states and countries in where Cajun cuisine is a delicious meal and highly sought for. For instance, when people think of Cajun culinary, they think New Orleans. They think Mardigras festivities. Cajun cooking is highly used in gumbo and as a spice with crawfish and also jambalaya with rice. It has been used in many diverse ways, shapes, and with diverse meats. Just like Manythigns.org “When a Cajun cook is planning a meal, he or she simply opens the kitchen door and whatever is flying, swimming, walking by or growing in their gardens may well end up in the pot”. Cajun cooking has been a form of unity between family and friends.

It has shaped the way spices and meats taste with a spicy kick and also as a comfort food.

Today Cajun is highly known through festivities and has become a high expected dish to be served in festivities worldwide.

It started as just a Cajun family meal from Cajuns, but after one American chef brought Cajun cooking to life through the most sought out way, television. Today television is a lifestyle (sadly to say) however, chef Paul Prudhome aired on the famous food T.V show the Food Network channel and showed America the wonders of Cajun cuisine. The New York post posted about chef Paul and how he brought Cajun to the light of America, “Prudhomme became prominent in the early 1980s, soon after opening K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen, a French Quarter diner that served the meals of his childhood. He had no formal training, but sparked a nationwide interest in Cajun food by serving dishes — gumbo, etouffee and jambalaya — that were virtually unknown outside Louisiana”. Sadly to say chef Paul passed away this year but many are happy because he introduced Cajun to

America.

Cajun cooking varies on what recipe you want to make. For example, there is a very famous recipe on the food network that is very lengthy in time but personally think it is worth every minute of time. This dish is the famous jambalaya. This dish contains several ingredients such as sausage, rice, and celery. In the food network recipe, they add onion, bell peppers, tomatoes, broth and many more other ingredients. This dish takes up to 3-4 hours depending on what you want to add or takeaway.

Resources:
http://www.manythings.org/voa/america/500.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/jambalaya.html

http://nypost.com/2015/10/08/paul-prudhomme-louisiana-chef-who-popularized-cajun-food-dies/