Origin of Gumbo

There is a little history leading up to the origin of gumbo that actually starts out in Nova Scotia. The Acadia region of Nova Scotia was settled by the French between the years of 1604 and 1654. By the early to mid 1700's the area became more populated by the English, and the French were eventually ran out of the area. They settled in Maryland, then back to France and ended up as new settlers in a French colony called Louisiana. The new settlers were from Acadia and they gained their new name "Cajun" for short, and so began the duel class system in the area, Cajuns and Creoles. The Creoles were the wealthy and the Cajuns were the poor. Early on, the Cajun meals were very bland, consisting of mostly boiled foods. It stayed this way until the introduction of Roux (a thickening agent made from fat, or lard and wheat flour). For larger families, this mixture was served over rice, an expansive substance to make the meal go further. Basically, any kind of meat could be used, usually whatever could be caught, raised, or handy at the time.

The name "gumbo" itself was a translation of "okra" by the French. Okra and other spices were a mainstay of the early slaves brought over from Africa. The actual gumbo food dishes were a culmination of Spanish, African, Native American, and Anglo Southern influences. The Spanish introduced cooked onions, green peppers, tomatoes and garlic. The Africans introduced other spices as well as okra. Native to the area was crawfish, shrimp, oysters, crabs and interestingly, pecans. The Choctaw Indians introduced file' (powered herb made from dried sassyfras leaves, to thicken the gumbo as well as give it a slight citrusy taste). The first Creole cookbook was published in 1885 using the name "gumbo". Recipes today will almost always include Andouille (smoked sausage), okra and other ingredients from fish, to meat, to fowl.

If you would like a free recipe, please follow my Big Arrow Link below. There are also 9 other GREAT Gumbo Recipes available!!