Page 172 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New Orleans

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The Flavors of New Orleans

new Orleans is one of america’s culinary capitals, with a unique
cuisine spawned by two distinct cultures: Creole and Cajun.
Creole is the legacy of refined, city-dwelling descendants of
the early French settlers. From the application of classic French
techniques to local produce, a rich, sophisticated new cuisine
was created. the Cajuns settled in louisiana after being ousted
from both France and acadia (nova scotia), living in the bayous,
hunting and fishing for indigenous foods. their traditional dishes
are spicier, the fiery seasonings tempered by long-simmering. a
glossary of typical dishes and ingredients can be found on page 173. Hot chili peppers
Louisiana Produce
onions, cauliflower, and garlic.
It owes its origins to Italian One of the best-known
dock workers. Another is the Louisiana products is crawfish
po’boy, a submarine roll piled (called crayfish elsewhere),
high with roast beef, ham, which are grown locally. They
shrimp, or oysters, along with breed in the muddy bayous
mustard, onions, herbs, and and ponds of Cajun country,
spices. You may be asked if you and are harvested in little
want your sandwich “dressed,” boats from December to May.
which will include the addition Meanwhile, oyster aficionados
of tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, will tell you there’s nothing as
and mayonnaise. good as plump, salty Louisiana
A plate of luscious Louisiana crawfish on
a bed of rice Shrimp Oysters Crab Crawfish
Only in New Orleans
Several dishes are unique
to New Orleans. A breakfast
of beignets (deep-fried,
sugary-sweet donuts) and
chicory coffee shows the
French influence. The city’s
contributions to sandwich
culture include the muffuletta,
a large, round roll containing
cold cuts of meat, Provolone
cheese and a dressing of
chopped olives, olive oil, Selection of the finest Louisiana shellfish
Local Dishes and Specialties
Both Cajun and Creole cooking often begin with a roux,
the base of many dishes including gumbos, etouffées
and sauces. A roux is simply flour and oil,
stirred constantly over a flame until the right
shade of brown for each dish is achieved.
The darker the roux, the more intense
the flavor. It is the deep, dark roux that
gives a distinctive smoky, nutty flavor to
gumbo. Every cook has his or her own
gumbo recipe, but it always begins with
Okra pods the roux used to thicken and flavor home-
made stock, and includes sausage, a “trinity” of onion, celery, and
bell pepper, scallions, cayenne pepper and a sprinkling of filé Jambalaya Similar to Spanish
power (ground sassafras leaves) on the top. Filé is used to thicken paella, this spicy rice dish may
as well as to season; another thickening is okra, which lends a feature seafood, ham, chicken,
silky texture to dishes. andouille, and more besides.

170-171_EW_New_Orleans.indd 170 13/08/14 2:11 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Feature template “UK” LAYER
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Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm