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Cajun cuisine (French: cuisine cadienne [kɥi.zin ka.dʒɛn], Spanish: cocina cadiense) is a subset of Louisiana cooking developed by the Cajuns, itself a Louisianan development incorporating elements of Native American, West African, French, and Spanish cuisine.
Cajun cuisine is often referred to as a "rustic" cuisine,[1] meaning that it is based on locally available ingredients and that preparation is simple. Cajuns historically cooked their dishes, gumbo for example, in one pot.[2]
Crawfish, shrimp, and andouille sausage are staple meats used in a variety of dishes. The aromatic vegetables green bell pepper (piment doux), onion, and celery are called "the trinity" by chefs in Cajun and Louisiana Creole cuisines. Roughly diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mirepoix in traditional French cuisine which blends roughly diced carrot, onion, and celery. Additional characteristic aromatics for both the Creole and Cajun versions may include parsley, bay leaf, thyme, green onions, ground cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper. Cayenne and Louisiana-style hot sauce are the primary sources of spice in Cajun cuisine, which usually tends towards a moderate, well-balanced heat, despite the national "Cajun hot" craze of the 1980s and 1990s.
- ^ Link, Donald; Disbrowe, Paula (2012). Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana: A Cookbook. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-7704-3420-5.
- ^ Gaudet, Marcia G. (2003). "Is It Cajun, or Is It Creole?". In Gaudet, Marcia G.; McDonald, James C. (eds.). Mardi Gras, Gumbo, and Zydeco: Readings in Louisiana Culture. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-57806-530-1.