Where is gumbo from

Historians generally agree that its existence is first documented at the beginning of the 19th century. Creole Jambalaya may include tomatoes, while Cajun typically does not. The powder is usually added at the end of the recipe to thicken and season the gumbo and can usually be found in a well-stocked supermarket or spice store.

Traditionally, when okra is out of season, dried okra can be used instead. Roux: Derived from French cooking, gumbo roux is much darker than the mildly toasted roux used in classical French cuisine.

Depending on the recipe, shallots, garlic, and parsley can also be included in this essential blend. Gumbo is traditionally made by whatever protein is on hand or in season, so there are endless variations that all yield delicious results.

Best Ever Seafood Gumbo. This spicy, tangy, seafood gumbo makes use of crabmeat, shrimp, and sausage. Serve it over rice for a filling and complete meal. This recipe uses tomato paste, a less traditional but still tasty addition. Chicken Gumbo. This chicken gumbo is hearty, wholesome, and fast, making it a perfect weeknight dinner option. Gumbo became a regional staple across many states in the South. The Creole or seafood gumbo of New Orleans is one of the best-known, and best-documented , types of gumbo.

However, the earliest references to gumbo in general date to the early s. In the Louisiana Entertains cookbook from the Louisiana World Exposition, a good gumbo is compared to a good sunset, with no two being exactly alike.

The Creole gumbo created by the late Leah Chase , who was a James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award winner, has been served for decades to freedom riders, civil rights leaders, presidents, and, as my mother recalled, black students in a still-segregated New Orleans who wanted to go somewhere nice after prom.

Chase used to proclaim she could solve the problems of the world with her gumbo. As I prepare to go to the grocery store, buy my ingredients, pull out my pot, and make gumbo for my own family, I am grateful for the shared history and legacy, no matter the origin. Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award-winning producer and the author of the forthcoming novel Beyond Bourbon Street , centered around the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Filed under: Reports Brief Histories. It Starts With the Roux. Pocket Flipboard Email. More From Eater. Personally, I am for tomato in okra gumbo and against it in non-okra gumbo. One point everyone can agree on is that gumbo is always served with rice. But that was not always the case. Robin, a Frenchman who published an account of his travels in Louisiana in , reported that gumbo was served with corn meal mush.

A contemporary variant on that theme is the experience of Dr. Monty Rizzo, a New Iberia physician and an excellent cook who hunts game in Africa.

On a safari in Tanzania, he taught the cooks to make a gumbo with the doves his party had shot that day. The cooks had already proved their soup-making skills with a cream of peanut soup and a Cape buffalo tail soup, but gumbo was unknown to them. There was no rice in the camp, so the cooks served the gumbo with corn meal mush. It was such a hit that before the trip was over, they made it again, this time without Dr. For some reason, gumbo is one of those dishes that men often make.

It has some of the same appeal as game cookery or barbecuing, and it is a favorite dish at hunting camps. When men who cook only occasionally make a gumbo the event takes on a heightened significance. If there is an audience, so much the better. On the other hand, for women and men who cook on a daily basis, making a gumbo is more routine, if no less important. Consider the options as set forth in a gumbo recipe that appeared in the New Orleans City Guide , which was published in It is a fairly basic recipe for a gumbo made with crabs, shrimp, and oysters.

At the end of the instructions is this advice:. The basic recipe is the same, but chicken, veal, and ham or a combination of veal and a hambone can be substituted for the crabs and shrimp. After Thanksgiving and Christmas the left-over turkey may be made into a gumbo with oysters. Stanley Dry is a writer, SFA member, and gumbo lover. You can see more of his work here. What is New Orleans? Gumbo recipes vary from place to place, person to person. Across the South, no two people make gumbo alike.

Chefs have…. For every roux-based gumbo out there, each cook has a certain kind of roux they like to make. Some people prefer to use…. The challenge for all competitors is to produce both roux and stock onsite the morning of the event, beginning when a….

Restaurants throughout New Orleans…. Two Sisters Restaurant, named by a previous owner, is actually run by three sisters and one brother—and their mother,…. The seafood gumbo at Seafood Palace begins with an awe-inspiring, nearly black roux that gives amateur roux-makers….

Armand Olivier Jr.