Creole & Cajun cooking – aren’t they the same thing?

I will soon be teaching a class on New Orleans cuisine. When you think of food from this area, what types of food come to mind? For many of you, I suspect you would say Cajun and Creole. Just what is the difference in these terms, if anything? That is the subject of this Cooking Tip.

To understand the difference between Cajun and Creole food, we need to look at the history of the people. The history lesson will be a bit of a summary rather than an in-depth look.

Creole

Creole means “native to the colony” and is said to have come from the European colonization of Louisiana. France claimed this land in the 1600s and gave it to Spain in the 1700s. During this time, the term “Creole” was applied to children born in North America, no matter their descent. The term became more important after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 as it distinguished those living there from new arrivals.

People who claim this heritage come from all sorts of backgrounds. They were in this area before the Louisiana Purchase and tried to maintain their languages, culture, food and faith. Most scholars say the term refers to birthplace, not a race.

Cajun

This is derived from the word “Acadian”. They were French colonists who settled in the Canadian provinces (Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) in the 1600s. The settlers named the region “Acadia,” and they were known as “Acadians.” When the British threatened to expel the Acadians unless they pledged allegiance to the King of England during the 1700s, they refused. As they were removed, they moved southward to Louisiana.

These people were poor and lived rural lives. Their language was a unique dialect of French that differed from those who had arrived in this area from France. This kept them somewhat isolated, and they were treated as inferior people.

These terms – Creole and Cajun – also came to describe cuisines. Although they share similarities, there are also differences. One of the most significant differences people will always note is that Creole cuisine uses tomatoes, and proper Cajun food does not.

Creole Food

This type of food was born in the kitchens of aristocrats, with slave cooks mixing their cooking techniques and ingredients with those preferred by the European colonists. The people of this area could afford imported ingredients as well as dairy. This led to richer and more elegant dishes. In summary, Creole food can be described in the following ways.

• More refined
• The roux is based on butter and flour
• Uses more tomatoes, shrimp, oysters and crab
• Seasoning is more spice-based (as opposed to herb-based)
• City cooking with influences from Spain, Africa, Germany, Italy and the West Indies combined with native ingredients.

Cajun Food

The food was borne of very frugal practices, such as using every part of the animal that could be used. From these butchered animals, they made tasso (a type of heavily seasoned pork or beef), andouille sausage (a spicy pork sausage) and boudin (a sausage made from pork, rice, various vegetables & seasonings). Rice was also prominent as it was one of the most abundant crops in Louisiana, and crawfish was eaten due to the water sources.

Here is a summary of Cajun food.

• More rustic, home-cooking rich with local ingredients
• The roux is based on oil or lard and flour
• Very well-seasoned food with an emphasis on herbs
• Contains more pork and crawfish
• Country food

While there are these differences, there are also some similarities.

• Holy Trinity – both cuisines use this version of the French mirepoix as the base of many dishes. Rather than the traditional mixture of onions, celery and carrots, the Holy Trinity uses green peppers, onions and celery.
• Spice – many people associate these cuisines with spicy food. Although they can be spicy, they are better described as very flavorful.
• Roux – because of the French influences, both Creole and Cajun cuisines use rouxs in their dishes although as noted above, Creole is more likely to use butter and Cajun tends towards lard or oil.
• Rice – this grain is prominent in both cuisines.

As opposed to many countries, it is hard to say that the US has a particular type of cuisine. Rather, it has many regional cuisines. Cajun and Creole are one of these and now you know the difference!