Who are Cajun, what is Cajun?

Zeno · Mar 11, 2011

When we make turkey, we always cover the meat with Cajun-spices, makes it taste really good and seals off the meat so it remains juicy and soft.

But who are the Cajun, did they used to be immigrated French, like the Acadians?

What are some typically Cajun things, food, feasts, folklore, dress, ...

halomanuk · Mar 11, 2011

Cajun spices are something to do with the French IIRC offhand,but i the people came from Canada first (French origin),after not becoming part of the British Empire.
They are in Louisana now or similar.

leakbrewergator · Mar 11, 2011

I'm cajun.!!

Yes, we immigrated from France via....gasp!...Canada.

Some of my favorite cajun food:

Gumbo (filet or okra)
Fried alligator tail
jumbalaya
shrimp etoufee
po boys (catfish or shrimp. Sometimes chicken)
duck
turtle soup
pig tail spaghetti

the list goes on and on....

My favorite cajun feast is easily the crawfish boil. You basically put a bunch of picnic tables together and spread some newspaper out. Then they come by with the crawfish pot and spread it all over the table. The crawfish pot usually contains red potatoes and corn to go along with the crawfish. Then they come by with a big 'ol vat of industrial strength hot sauce and drizzle it over everything. Everybody just digs in and throws the discarded shells into a predetermined bucket.

Clemmie · Mar 11, 2011

Zeno said:
When we make turkey, we always cover the meat with Cajun-spices, makes it taste really good and seals off the meat so it remains juicy and soft.

But who are the Cajun, did they used to be immigrated French, like the Acadians?

What are some typically Cajun things, food, feasts, folklore, dress, ...

They are the Acadians.

diddyriddick · Mar 11, 2011

leakbrewergator said:
I'm cajun.!!

Yes, we immigrated from France via....gasp!...Canada.

Some of my favorite cajun food:

Gumbo (filet or okra)
Fried alligator tail
jumbalaya
shrimp etoufee
po boys (catfish or shrimp. Sometimes chicken)
duck
turtle soup
pig tail spaghetti

the list goes on and on....

My favorite cajun feast is easily the crawfish boil. You basically put a bunch of picnic tables together and spread some newspaper out. Then they come by with the crawfish pot and spread it all over the table. The crawfish pot usually contains red potatoes and corn to go along with the crawfish. Then they come by with a big 'ol vat of industrial strength hot sauce and drizzle it over everything. Everybody just digs in and throws the discarded shells into a predetermined bucket.

I really feel like Pavlov's dog here. You might also add Benets and coffee to that mix. And rice. Gumbo with rice. Etouffe with rice. Coffee with rice.

As far as festivals....Perhaps the most famous festival for the cajuns (yes....A corruption of the word acadian) is Mardi Gras. While the cajuns didn't invent Mardi Gras, they have their own unique way of celebrating it.

And if I might, to paint the cajuns solely as French acadians via Canada is just telling part of the story. Part of the charm of south Louisiana is the MANY cultures that produced it. The Spanish in particular played a large role in defining the culture there. Likewise, the antebellum south plays a large role in cajun culture, both good and bad.

leakbrewergator · Mar 11, 2011

diddyriddick said:
And if I might, to paint the cajuns solely as French acadians via Canada is just telling part of the story. Part of the charm of south Louisiana is the MANY cultures that produced it. The Spanish in particular played a large role in defining the culture there. Likewise, the antebellum south plays a large role in cajun culture, both good and bad.

Of course. I was merely stating the origins. There's obviously a very strong Caribbean influence in our culture.

leakbrewergator · Mar 11, 2011

diddyriddick said:
I really feel like Pavlov's dog here. You might also add Benets and coffee to that mix. And rice. Gumbo with rice. Etouffe with rice. Coffee with rice.

The rice is a given. Gumbo w/out rice is just soup. Etoufee without rice is just wrong. I also forgot to mention dirty rice (a mixture of rice, ground beef, spices, and sometimes oysters.)

Beignets aren't a very regular part of our (at least my family's) cuisine. On a side note, I tried to make some homemade beignets once. Talk about a mess!

diddyriddick · Mar 11, 2011

leakbrewergator said:
The rice is a given. Gumbo w/out rice is just soup. Etoufee without rice is just wrong. I also forgot to mention dirty rice (a mixture of rice, ground beef, spices, and sometimes oysters.)

Beignets aren't a very regular part of our (at least my family's) cuisine. On a side note, I tried to make some homemade beignets once. Talk about a mess!

May be on the Beignets (thanks for the sp. correction). IIRC, however, they are as regular as donuts are to the rest of the world. While the Cafe du Monde made them famous, they are readily available.

You might also acknowlege the produce grown in the lower Mississippi delta. There is something about that soil that produces exceptional fruits and veggies.

As an aside....My Mom was a very good cook. But one time she found a recipe for authentic duck gumbo. It was the only recipe that she never made again, IIRC.

Charlie Bravo · Mar 11, 2011

Somebody's leavin out de boudin...

Zeno · Mar 11, 2011

What area in America do the Cajun live in? Does it go from the Mississippi Bayou all the way to Florida? Are there any Cajuns in Texas and Mexico?

leakbrewergator · Mar 11, 2011

Charlie Bravo said:
Somebody's leavin out de boudin...

Boudin is included with the gumbo and jumbalaya

Zeno said:
What area in America do the Cajun live in? Does it go from the Mississippi Bayou all the way to Florida? Are there any Cajuns in Texas and Mexico?

Well, I live in Tampa, FL.

Charlie Bravo · Mar 11, 2011

Zeno said:
What area in America do the Cajun live in? Does it go from the Mississippi Bayou all the way to Florida? Are there any Cajuns in Texas and Mexico?

Mostly South Louisiana (my mother's side of the family were Acadians). A few along the Gulf Coast, including Texas, a few in Maine, still, but the majority are in South Louisiana.

Fire_Raven · Mar 11, 2011

In decent numbers they are mostly in Southern Louisiana and some parts of Southeast Texas because of the oil work there.

Charlie Bravo · Mar 11, 2011

leakbrewergator said:
Boudin is included with the gumbo and jumbalaya

Well, I live in Tampa, FL.

Yeah, but it deserves it's own mention, especially boudin balls! Gotta love those.

Zeno · Mar 11, 2011

So as main influences i count Southern American, French, Spanish/Mexican and Carribean. Does it reflect in the language or dialect?

Is there specific Cajun music?

Charlie Bravo · Mar 11, 2011

Zeno said:
So as main influences i count Southern American, French, Spanish/Mexican and Carribean. Does it reflect in the language or dialect?

Is there specific Cajun music?

Yes, it very much reflects in the language. Many Cajuns still speak their own form of French, and even when they speak English there are a lot of words and phrases from French and Spanish scattered in there.

I suppose zydeco would be the closest to Cajun music, as it derived from Creole influences that were a large part of Acadian life as well.

leakbrewergator · Mar 11, 2011

Zeno said:
So as main influences i count Southern American, French, Spanish/Mexican and Carribean. Does it reflect in the language or dialect?

Is there specific Cajun music?

Cajuns for the most part speak English and/or creole.

As far as music, there's zydeco:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0hKzamp_R4]YouTube - Buckwheat zydeco jambalaya french[/ame]

Zeno · Mar 11, 2011

Donc vous parlez Français?

Charlie Bravo · Mar 11, 2011

Une Petit peu, oui, mais pas bien. (And my spelling and grammer are atrocious)

leakbrewergator · Mar 11, 2011

Zeno said:
Donc vous parlez Français?

Oui....

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