Wikipedia

Cuisine of New Orleans

The cuisine of New Orleans encompasses common dishes and foods in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is perhaps the most distinctively recognized regional cuisine in the United States. Some of the dishes originated in New Orleans, while others are common and popular in the city and surrounding areas, such as the Mississippi River Delta and southern Louisiana. The cuisine of New Orleans is heavily influenced by Creole cuisine, Cajun cuisine, and soul food.[1][2] Later on, due to immigration, Italian cuisine and Sicilian cuisine also has some influence on the cuisine of New Orleans. Seafood also plays a prominent part in the cuisine.[1] Dishes invented in New Orleans include po' boy and muffuletta sandwiches, oysters Rockefeller and oysters Bienville, pompano en papillote, and bananas Foster, among others.

Location of New Orleans in the United States
Location of New Orleans in the United States
class=notpageimage|
Location of New Orleans in the United States
Shrimp gumbo and rice

Influences

edit

Creoles are descendants of the settlers in colonial Louisiana, especially New Orleans. Before Louisiana became a part of the United States in 1803, it was colonized for more than a century, first by France and then by Spain. The Creoles were the American-born offspring of these European settlers. Some Creoles are people of mixed race who also have West African and Native American ancestry. The Creoles, most of whom originally spoke a dialect of French, created a sophisticated and cosmopolitan society in colonial New Orleans.[3][4][5]

Creole cuisine is a fusion, unique to the New Orleans area, of French, Spanish, West African, and Native American cuisine. It was also influenced by later immigrants from Germany, Italy (particularly Sicily), and other locations. Like French food, it sometimes makes use of rich sauces and complex preparation techniques. Creole dishes often include onions, bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, and okra.[6][7][8]

Cajun cuisine is also based partly on French cuisine and also makes use of local ingredients such as bell peppers, and celery. It tends to be hearty, rustic fare, complex in flavor but easier to prepare. The Cajuns are descendants of the Acadians, French-Canadian colonists who were expelled from the Maritimes by the British. Some of the Acadians settled in rural areas of southern Louisiana in the 1760s and 1770s. The Cajuns spoke their dialect of French.[9][10][11] Cajun cuisine uses less fish and more shellfish, pork, and game than Creole cuisine. While not always spicy, Cajun food is known for its unique use of many seasonings, including garlic, hot peppers, and filé powder.[6][7][8]

Soul food was created by the African-American descendants of slaves. It is closely related to the cuisine of the Southern United States, but its origins trace back to West Africa. It often features hearty, flavorful dishes made with economical ingredients. Soul food is very popular in New Orleans.[12][13][14]

Seafood plays an important part in the cuisine of New Orleans. The city is located where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, so its residents have access to a rich variety of both saltwater and freshwater fish and shellfish.[15]

edit

Entrees and side dishes

edit
 
Oysters Rockefeller was invented at the New Orleans restaurant Antoine's.
 
Po' boy sandwiches are associated with the cuisine of New Orleans
 
Jambalaya
 
Red beans and rice at an event in the French Quarter of New Orleans
  • Andouille—a smoked sausage made with pork shoulder roast, garlic, and other spices; often used as an ingredient in dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya[16]
  • Blackened redfish—a redfish filet, coated with a mixture of seasonings and flash-fried in a red hot cast-iron skillet; the skin of the fish is charred black, while the inside is moist and tender[17][18]
  • Boiled seafood—boiled shellfish such as crawfish, shrimp, and crabs, often served with boiled corn and potatoes[19]
  • Boudin—sausage made with pork, rice, and Cajun spices.[20][21][22]
  • Calas—dumplings composed primarily of cooked rice, yeast, sugar, eggs, and flour; the resulting batter is deep-fried,[23] traditionally a breakfast dish, served with coffee or cafe au lait[24]
  • Couche-couche—a fried cornmeal dish that is traditionally eaten for breakfast; ingredients such as eggs, raisins, milk, or syrup are sometimes added[23]
  • Dirty rice—a traditional Cajun and Creole dish made from white rice that gets a "dirty" color from being cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, green bell pepper, celery, and onion,[25] and spiced with cayenne and black pepper.[a]
  • Eggs Sardou—poached eggs with artichoke bottoms, creamed spinach, and hollandaise sauce, sometimes with other ingredients such as anchovies or chopped ham[26]
  • Étouffée—crawfish (or sometimes other shellfish such as shrimp or crabs) cooked using a technique called smothering, with roux, Cajun spices, and other ingredients, and served with rice[27]
  • Gumbo—a stew of meat and/or shellfish, with celery, bell peppers, onions, and a stock made with either okra, filé powder, or roux[28][29][30]
  • Hot sausage
  • Jambalaya—a dish of rice and meat (often a combination of andouille sausage, chicken, and shrimp) cooked with vegetables and Creole spices[31]
  • Maque choux—a creamy corn stew, usually made with bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes;[23] it is sometimes braised with bacon or tasso[32]
  • Muffuletta—a sandwich on a muffuletta bread (a round Italian bread with sesame seeds), with olive salad spread on the bread, filled with various meats and cheeses such as ham, capicola, salami, mortadella, mozzarella, and provolone[33]
  • Oysters Bienville—a traditional dish in New Orleans cuisine,[34] it consists of filled, baked oysters; ingredients include shrimp, mushrooms, bell peppers, sherry, a roux with butter, Parmesan cheese and other lighter cheese, as well as bread crumbs[35]
  • Oysters en brochette—a classic dish in New Orleans Creole cuisine,[36] raw oysters are skewered, alternating with pieces of partially cooked bacon; the entire dish is then broiled or breaded (usually with corn flour) then either deep fried or sautéed
  • Oysters Rockefeller—oysters on the half-shell that have been topped with parsley and other green herbs, a rich butter sauce, and bread crumbs, and then baked or broiled[23]
  • Pistolette—either of two bread-based dishes in Louisiana cuisine: one is a stuffed and fried bread roll (sometimes called stuffed pistolettes) in the Cajun areas around Lafayette, the other is a type of submarine shaped bread about half the size of a baguette that is popular in New Orleans for Vietnamese bánh mì and other sandwiches[37]
  • Po' boy—a submarine sandwich on a wide piece of French bread; popular fillings include fried seafood such as shrimp, oysters, or catfish, and the more traditional roast beef with brown gravy; usually topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and remoulade[38]
  • Pompano en papillote—a pompano filet cooked en papillote, i.e. in a sealed parchment paper envelope, with a white sauce of wine, shrimp, and crabmeat[39]
  • Red beans and rice—kidney beans cooked with Cajun spices, ham, and vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, and celery, served together with white rice[23][40]
  • Rice and gravy—small pieces of beef, or sometimes chicken or pork, simmered for a long time with onions, peppers, and other seasonings, and served over white rice[41]
  • Shrimp Creole—cooked shrimp in a mixture of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and celery, spiced with hot pepper sauce and/or cayenne-based seasoning, and served over steamed or boiled white rice[42]
  • Turtle soup—a thick soup made with turtle meat and Creole spices; the local species are now protected so turtle meat from other states is used; alternatively, a mock turtle soup is made with veal or other meat[43]
  • Yaka mein— a soup of stewed beef in broth with noodles,[23] garnished with half a hard-boiled egg and chopped green onions, with Creole seasonings

Desserts and sweets

edit
 
Bananas Foster
  • Bananas Foster—a dessert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream, with a sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur; often served as a flambé; created in 1951 by Paul Blangé at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans[44]
  • Beignet—a square-shaped pastry made with deep-fried dough and topped with powdered sugar.[45]
  • Bread pudding—a sweet dessert made from bread, milk, eggs, and sugar, often served warm and topped with whiskey sauce, rum sauce, or caramel sauce[46]
  • Doberge cake—a cake with many thin layers, separated with dessert pudding or custard[23] (often half chocolate and half lemon), and with a glazed outer frosting[47]
  • Hubig's Pies—a brand of mass-produced glazed turnovers of fried dough with various fruit fillings;[23][48] the company was founded in 1922; no pies have been made since the factory was destroyed in a fire in 2012
  • Huckabuck—also known as a hucklebuck; a dessert made by taking any of various sweet, fruit-flavored drinks and freezing them in a cup; sometimes sold by street vendors[49]
  • King cake—a cake made of braided brioche dough laced with cinnamon, with purple, green, and gold frosting, and a small plastic baby hidden inside; eaten during Mardi Gras season[23][50]
  • Praline—a candy made with pecans, brown and white sugar, butter, and cream[51]
  • Sno-ball—shaved ice with flavored syrup, served in a cup with a straw; similar to a snow cone but with ice that is more finely ground and fluffy, which absorbs the syrup better[52]

Condiments and sauces

edit

Beverages

edit
 
A Sazerac cocktail at the Sazerac bar, The Roosevelt New Orleans hotel, New Orleans

Alcoholic

edit

Non-alcoholic

edit

Companies

edit

Restaurants and taverns

edit
 
Antoine's restaurant is located in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

New Orleans has a very popular and varied restaurant scene.[74][75][76]

Notable New Orleans dining and drinking establishments include:

The Picayune Creole Cook Book

edit

The Picayune Creole Cook Book[77] has been described as "an authentic and complete account of the Creole kitchen". It was published in 1900 during a time when former slaves and their descendants were moving North. Local newspapers warned that when the last of the "race of Creole cooks" left New Orleans "the secrets of the Louisiana Kitchen" would be lost.

The recipes published in the cook book were compiled by an unknown staffer at the Daily Picayune, who said the recipes came directly from "the old Creole 'mammies'". Since its publication it has been released in sixteen subsequent editions with very little alteration to the original recipes.[78]

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ which give it a dark ("dirty") color. Frommer's New Orleans

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Karlin, Adam (April 29, 2014). "New Orleans: the unseen side of the city". The Telegraph. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  2. ^ Johnson, P.; O'Brien, C. (2000). New Orleans. Lonely Planet: World food. Lonely Planet. pp. 11–13. ISBN 978-1-86450-110-0.
  3. ^ Bernard, Shane K. (December 8, 2010). "Creoles" Archived 2016-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, KnowLA: Encyclopedia of Louisiana History, Culture, and Community. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  4. ^ Ewell, Barbara, et al. "Kate Chopin – Creoles", Loyola University New Orleans. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  5. ^ Bauman, Harriet J. "French Creoles in Louisiana: An American Tale", Yale–New Haven Teachers Institute. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  6. ^ a b Ducote, Jay D. (April 24, 2012). "Cajun vs. Creole – What's the Difference?", Huffington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Wuerthner, Terri. "Creole and Cajun Cookery: Different Yet Similar" Archived 2016-12-27 at the Wayback Machine, About Food. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Beggs, Cindy; Gipson, Bridget; Shaw, Sherrie. "Cajun and Creole Cuisine", University of West Florida. Archived from the original on April 29, 2001. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  9. ^ Bernard, Shane K. (July 26, 2011). "Cajuns" Archived 2016-01-19 at the Wayback Machine, KnowLA: Encyclopedia of Louisiana History, Culture, and Community. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  10. ^ LaBorde, Judy. "A Short History of the Acadians and Cajuns", Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  11. ^ Meaux, Jason (October 14, 2006). "Cajun Country", University of Wisconsin at Madison. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  12. ^ Anderson, Brett (July 3, 2014). "6 Great Soul Food Restaurants in New Orleans", Times-Picayune. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  13. ^ Anderson, Brett (July 8, 2015). "When It Comes to Soul Food, Does Race Matter?", Times-Picayune. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  14. ^ "African-American History in New Orleans", New Orleans Online. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  15. ^ Anderson, Brett (April 16, 2015). "15 Best New Orleans Seafood Restaurants, from Borgne to Vera's", Times-Picayune. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  16. ^ McNulty, Ian. "LaPlace Is "the Place" for Andouille", WWNO. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  17. ^ Haddix, Carol (February 14, 1985). "New Orleans Blackened Redfish Sets Food World On Fire", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  18. ^ Bragg, Rick (May 16, 2001). "New Orleans Is Singing the Redfish Blues", New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  19. ^ "Best Boiled Seafood Restaurants in New Orleans", Explore New Orleans. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  20. ^ Darrisaw, Michelle. "Why Boudin Sausage Is Worth a Road Trip to Louisiana". Southern Living. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  21. ^ Billock, Jennifer (September 16, 2016). "Find Out Why Boudin Is Louisiana's Most Famous Sausage". Smithsonian. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  22. ^ Long, Matt (March 6, 2016). "What's Boudin & Why Louisiana Is the Best Place to Find It". Landlopers. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  23. ^ a b c d e f g h i Willett, Megan (February 12, 2013). "10 Dishes That Only Exist In New Orleans". Business Insider. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  24. ^ Eustis, Célestine (1903). Cooking in Old Creole Days (in French). New York: R.H. Russell. p. 108.
  25. ^ Cohen, S.; Betancourt, M.; Manville, R. (2007). The Texas Hill Country Cookbook: A Taste of Provence. Globe Pequot Series. Globe Pequot Press. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-7627-4375-9.[permanent dead link‍]
  26. ^ Claiborne, Craig; Franey, Pierre (November 3, 1985). "Eggs Sardou", New York Times. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  27. ^ Cason, Colleen (February 13, 2009). "From Swamp to Swank: Flavor Elevates Crawfish Étouffée", Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  28. ^ Dry, Stanley. "A Short History of Gumbo", Southern Foodways Alliance. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  29. ^ Vogt, Justin (December 29, 2009). "Gumbo: The Mysterious History", The Atlantic. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  30. ^ Moss, Robert (September 11, 2014). "The Real Story of Gumbo, Okra, and Filé", Serious Eats. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  31. ^ Dry, Stanley (2009). "Jambalaya" Archived 2017-10-14 at the Wayback Machine, Louisiana Life. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  32. ^ "Maque Choux Recipe", Nola Cuisine, May 12, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  33. ^ Lempert, Phil (September 17, 2007). "Is the Best Sandwich in America the Muffuletta?", Today. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  34. ^ Tucker, S. (2009). New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes and Their Histories. University Press of Mississippi. p. 63. ISBN 978-1-60473-127-9.
  35. ^ Meyer, A.L.; Vann, J.M. (2008). The Appetizer Atlas: A World of Small Bites. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-0-544-17738-3. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  36. ^ Jessup Whitehead (1893). Cooking for profit: A new American cook book, Volumes 1-2. Chicago, IL (USA): Jessup Whitehead & Company. p. 170. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  37. ^ Sari Edelstein (22 October 2010). Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp. 60–. ISBN 978-1-4496-1811-7. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  38. ^ Edge, John T. (November 10, 2009). "Saving New Orleans Culture, One Sandwich at a Time", New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  39. ^ Bienvenu, Marcelle (August 23, 2012). "Pompano Is Traditional en Papillote, but Other Fish Work as Well", Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  40. ^ "Red Beans and Rice", New Orleans Online. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  41. ^ Meche, Michelle (October 8, 2008). "Good Gravy! That's Rice & Gravy", Ms enPlace. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  42. ^ "Shrimp Creole Recipe", Nola Cuisine, April 13, 2008. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  43. ^ Fitzmorris, Tom (January 21, 2014). "Turtle Soups–12 Best Restaurants", New Orleans Menu. Retrieved November 28, 2015.
  44. ^ Price, Todd A. (November 28, 2014). "Ella Brennan, for the First Time in 40 years, Visits Brennan's", Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  45. ^ "Beignets: From Scriblita to the Big Easy"[dead link‍], National Geographic Education. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  46. ^ Rosofsky, Meryl (November 16, 2012). "7 Sensational Bread Puddings in New Orleans", Saveur. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  47. ^ Curry, Dale (September 2009). "Lavishly Layered" Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, New Orleans Magazine. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  48. ^ Nossiter, Adam (January 10, 2006). "And Hubig's Said, Let Them Eat Pie", New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  49. ^ Baird, Sarah (August 28, 2014). "Simply Delicious: A Case for Huckabucks as the South's Next Big Dessert Trend", Epicurious. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  50. ^ "King Cakes", New Orleans Online. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  51. ^ McNulty, Ian. "The Creole Confection – New Orleans Pralines", FrenchQuarter.com. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  52. ^ Morago, Greg (July 14, 2011). "A Tour of the New Orleans' Sno-Ball Stands Nets Some Wondrous Samplings", Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  53. ^ Gold, Scott (February 5, 2014). "12 Things You Didn't Know About Crystal Hot Sauce", Thrillist. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  54. ^ Walker, Judy (November 13, 2013). "How to Make New Orleans Favorite Remoulade Sauce", Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  55. ^ Slater, Dashka (August 29, 2014). "Who Made That Tabasco Sauce?", New York Times. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  56. ^ Chatelain, Kim (April 7, 2015). "Expansion Completed, Abita Brewing Helping Found Partnership to Compete Against National Beer Brands", Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  57. ^ Breslow, Peter (June 3, 2006). "Couple Vows to Get Beer Flowing Again in 'Dixie'", NPR. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  58. ^ Waddington, Chris (July 16, 2014). "Bourbon Street 'Hand Grenade': Authentic New Orleans? Experts Say Yes", Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  59. ^ Price, Todd A. (December 19, 2009). "Sazerac Co. Reintroduces the Original Recipe for Herbsaint", Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  60. ^ Marszalek, Keith I. (November 30, 2008). "Home of the 'Hurricane' Pat O'Brien's Turns 75 This Week" Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  61. ^ "Brandy Milk Punch", New Orleans Online. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  62. ^ Price, Todd A. (June 4, 2015). "NOLA Brewing Readies Huge New Tap Room for June 12 Debut", Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  63. ^ Kamholz, Roger (November 25, 2014). "Peychaud's Bitters: A New Orleans Take on Aromatic Bitters", The Kitchn. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  64. ^ "Ramos Gin Fizz", New Orleans Online. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  65. ^ Boggs, Lindy (June 26, 2008). "New Orleans Declares Sazerac Its Cocktail of Choice", NPR. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  66. ^ Santopietro, Jill (July 15, 2009). "Tales of a Cocktail: Sampling Sazeracs in New Orleans", New York Times. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  67. ^ Clarke, Paul (July 18, 2008). "Time for a Drink: Vieux Carré", Serious Eats. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  68. ^ Dixler, Hillary (September 25, 2013). "Café Du Monde's Beignets & Café Au Lait", Eater. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  69. ^ Flory, Brad (October 26, 2011). "Delaware Punch: Here's the Story of a Vanished Soft-Drink Favorite in Jackson", MLive. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  70. ^ "Our Times: Dr. Nut, Popular Local Soft Drink in 1930s, '40s", Times-Picayune, June 23, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  71. ^ "Business (not) as usual in the big easy: Dorignac's, which re-opened shortly after the devastation wrought in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, is seeing more beverage alcohol business than ever". thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  72. ^ MacDonald, Brady (October 31, 2004). "Po' Boy Bliss in New Orleans", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  73. ^ Walker, Judy (July 13, 2015). "The Zatarain's History Behind Its New Facility", Times-Picayune. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  74. ^ Dewandec, Shaila (December 2, 2013). "New Orleans Restaurant Scene Rises, Reflecting a Richer City", New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  75. ^ "Best New Orleans Restaurants: Critic's Picks", Times-Picayune. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  76. ^ "New Orleans Restaurants", Food & Wine. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  77. ^ Walker, Judy. "Local historian digs up long-lost info on The Picayune Creole Cook Book". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  78. ^ Fertel, Rien T. (2013). ""Everybody Seemed Willing to Help":The Picayune Creole Cook Book as Battleground, 1900-2008". The Larder: Food Studies Methods from the American South. The University of Georgia Press.

Further reading

edit
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cuisine of New Orleans.
 
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Retrieved from "https://en.wiki.x.io/w/index.php?title=Cuisine_of_New_Orleans&oldid=1259749116"