Cajun Food History and How It Has EvolvedThe history of Cajun Cuisine has been in development for the last 250 years. The full extent of information about Cajun Food history and how the History of Cajun Cuisine is a mixture of Cajun and Creole techniques and recipes, would take two days or more to cover. So for the sake of your time, I will only touch the high points of this summary.  Custom Search It is true, however, that the Cajun Cuisine has taken many different paths, one influence after the other, to develop into a blend of natural spices that make it what it is today. Authentic Cajun Food is not necessarily too hot. Most replica Cajun meals found everywhere except Louisiana are too peppery. Is There A Difference?So, what’s the difference between Creole and Cajun cooking? Almost everyone that doesn't live in Southern Louisiana probably would say very little difference.Some would claim that Creole cooking is city food: a more refined type of cuisine reflecting its close ties to the European aristocracy who settled here (with their chefs). Cajun cuisine is country cooking, illustrated by its many traditional one pot meals made up of whatever was on hand by the people who originally settled in the more rural parts of the area. Let us compare the two cuisines. Creole Cuisine Cajun Cuisine Louisiana has a geographic difference from most areas. It has a sub tropical climate with marshes and fertile soil, it has prairie lands along with gentle rolling hills, miles of rivers and bayous, coast land and swamps. With this diverse amount of geography at its disposal, it is no wonder that Cajun Cuisine stands alone compared to all other foods. A large area of Louisiana is covered in wetlands, which adds to the popularity of seafood and fish as a Cajun staple food. The climate and wetter conditions than most other areas help make sugarcane, soybeans and rice production a major agricultural industry in Louisiana. As of course, that is why rice will be found in many different recipes and Cajun Food dishes, because it is so plentiful here. Creole CuisineIt is said that Creole cooking tends to be handed down from the European settlers in the 1690's. These aristocrats, mostly French, or second sons, relocated here to Louisiana to acquire their own land and fortune.It was uncertain if they would receive any inheritance of land or titles if they would have stayed in their native countries. They arrived in Louisiana along with their chefs. They brought with them their European traditions, including their cuisine and their classic European cooking styles. These were the founders of Creole Cuisine. So what is the difference between Creole and Cajun Cuisine? Both of them are a product of Southern Louisiana. The Creoles enjoyed a relatively affluent and elegant lifestyle, part of which included having plenty of servants and workers. Creole Cuisine was brought from Europe by these aristocrats, along with classic European cooking. The Creole cuisine was established when the first European occupation of Louisiana in 1682 by the Frenchman La Salle. By the eighteenth century, trade was active and spices from the Caribbean were easily obtainable in the French market. The Creole culture (originally ‘Criolle’, meaning ‘native born’) emerged in this setting. These influences are evident in many dishes that are found today. Their cuisine was a combination of old French cuisines and their servants versions of these meals. The old classic French dish, Bouillabaisse, is considered the forerunner of Cajun Gumbo. The Spanish dish, Paella, is considered the early version of Jambalaya. The use of charcuterie and sausages is attributed to the Germans. The Native Indians in Louisiana introduced the settlers here the locally grown produce of corn, ground sassafras leaves (or file' powder) and bay leaves. "File", which is pronounced "Filet", like fish, is an all important ingredient added to Gumbo, which is a spice originated in Louisiana. The all important tomato was introduced from Central/South America. With the added benefit of African slaves, a further ingredient of Creole Cuisine was enhanced. The Africans brought with them Okra seeds, the African name for which is Gumbo, which gave its name to the well known soup. Having several different ethnic cooks in the Creole's kitchens, it was inevitable that these servant's own cooking traditions crept into the cuisine. With all these different styles of cooking, it was soon learned and adopted by these workers and over time developed to create the Creole Cuisine. Also with the Louisiana government switching from Spanish to French, the total integration of European, African and Native Indian cooking occurred. Cajun CuisineIn contrast to the Creoles, the Cajuns were a much tougher people. Mostly of French peasant stock, these people were victimized by the English by being exiled from their homeland in Canada. These Acadians were once farmers.They grew wheat, barley, oats, turnips and cabbage. They originally settled in and around New Orleans, but the ruling Spanish government did not welcome them with hospitality. Instead, they were promptly relocated to the more rural areas of Louisiana. Here they split into two different factions. There were the people who settled the prairie areas of Louisiana. Wheat, oats and barley that they were accustomed to growing did not grow well in the Louisiana climate. These people found that the land was ideally suited for raising cattle. With the climate and bountiful amounts of rain, however, they also found that growing crops like sugarcane, rice and soybeans were easily accomplished. So this new breed of people became the elite and adopting slavery in order to operate their huge plantations and cattle ranches. Like the Creoles, with slavery the African element was introduced and melded into their cuisine. The other faction of Acadians that settled in and around the swamp areas of Louisiana found life to be much harder than their counterparts on the prairie. The swamps did not offer land to grow the crops that they were accustomed to growing. Instead, they adapted and learned that the swamps were full of bountiful varieties of wild foods, like squirrel, wild turkey, alligator, frogs, fish and shellfish. Hunting and trapping became part of their survival process. Special note: FYI - (For Your Information) - The reason the Cajun people did not hunt and trap the Nutria Rat back in those days, because the Nutria Rat (Myocastor coypus), was not introduced into Louisiana until the 1930's. The Nutria, or swamp beaver, is vegetarian and it is really not a rat at all. It only has two predators: Alligators and Man. It was introduced from Argentina. It was considered only a nuisance until in the 1950's when the pelt became a valuable commodity for clothing in Europe. Today it is not only trapped for it's valuable fur, but also for it's meat. Believe it or not, Nutria is a good tasting meat. Several recipes for Nutria can be found. However, because 'Rat' is in the name, the recipe's name is spelled backwards, that is, 'Tariartun.' Their cooking utensils were meager compared to the Creoles. They used one cast iron pot suspended over a fire and the one-pot meal was the normal cooking procedure. Originally Cajun meals were bland and nearly all foods were boiled. The development of the roux gave more vitality and flavor to boiled dishes. Rice was used to stretch-out the meals to feed large families. The bountiful amounts of rice were well suited for these one-pot meals. Staple foods such as corn and cornmeal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, beans, pumpkins, okra and rice were also supplemented with wild game. They also raised domestic livestock (pork and beef), and grew fruits like figs, satsumas (a variety of orange), plums pecans and grapes. As with the Creoles, over time Native American, African, Spanish and German culinary influences were taken on board. The abundant use of seasonings such as cayenne often made for more spicy dishes than those of the Creoles. In summary, the melding of all these different ethnic groups of peoples helped influence Cajun Cuisine, which makes it different from ordinary "southern food." Cajun cuisine is essentially a poor cousin of Creole. Today it has more spices and is heartier than Creole, utilizing more of the regional flavors found in Louisiana than from Creole foods brought here through trade. Some of the more popular Cajun dishes include many sausages like andouille and boudin, several different jambalayas and gumbos and etoufee. The most popular symbol of Cajun food is the Crawfish; however, until forty years ago crawfish were mainly used as bait. Current Day CuisineOnce upon a time the difference between Creole and Cajun was very distinct. Today, however, the flavours of these two unique cultures have grown quite similar and close. But there still remains differences between the two. For example.Today Cajuns tend to eat a lot more pork, especially in the form of sausages and lots of crawfish when in season. The Creole recipes are much more likely to use oysters, shrimp and crab meat. Cajun cooking still tends to be spicy, though not always, whereas Creole dishes, while rich and flavorful, are not generally so hot. Creole cooking is still more complex. They use a greater quantity of ingredients, and the way it’s served is still reminiscent of the Grand European style, consisting of several courses. Creole cooking also uses more tomato in their recipes than Cajuns. Cajun cuisine on the other hand, tends to be more robust and hearty and easily made in one pot. Both Cajun and Creole Cuisines utilize onions, green peppers, celery (the holy trinity) and garlic. Even though they share recipes, sometimes the way in which they are made are slightly different. Today the differences between the two cuisines are not so much different, but more of the way they are put together that makes the difference. The Cajun Cuisine has truly developed into possibly the only true American Cuisine. 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