The Creole food is mainly popular in the Louisiana state of America. This cuisine is a perfect blend of many food ethnicities such as, French, Italian, Greek and Asian.
The main highlight of the Creole recipes is the use of peppers. The food is highly spicy and can be compared with the Cajun food. The Creole food is highly popular throughout the world due to a large number of cultural influences.
History of Creole Recipes
Creole food is said to be originated in Louisiana, USA with the introduction of recipes influenced by the countries that are present in between the American slave trade route. The West African slaves use to travel to the Caribbean and then back to Louisiana. As soon as the slaves arrived to the New World, they introduced some recipes that were used to fed slaves and their owners for thousands of years. Originally, the Creole recipes are the amalgamation of the styles of cooking adopted from West Africa and the countries in the slave trade route.
Ingredients Commonly Used in Creole Recipes
Creole food is considered highly spicy due to the presence of some or the other kind of peppers. The most widely used ingredient in Creole cuisine is ‘roux’. This is a kind of brown sauce that is specially prepared to form the base of many popular Creole recipes.
Most of the widely made dishes in Creole food include red beans and rice. These foodstuffs are considered the staples in Creole cooking. Apart from these stuffs; okra, tomatoes, celery, meats and shellfish are the main components that help in making some of the most popular dishes in Creole food.
Like rice, pasta is also a very popular staple food in Louisiana.
Cooking Methods Adopted While Making Creole Recipes
There is variety of dishes present in Creole food; hence distinctive methods are used to prepare these dishes. Boiling, stewing, steaming, smoking and mashing are the main methods of cooking Creole dishes.
Soups and stews are highly popular in this cuisine, hence boiling is the main method used. Smoking method is mainly used for making meat as well as sausages. Mashing is mainly done with the vegetable and fruits to make delicious toppings and fruit desserts.
Seafood dishes are essentially cooked with steaming as well as deep-frying methods. Sometimes seafood is eaten raw and even marinated with lime juice.
Creole food is highly influenced with French methods, hence uncooked food stuffs and light sandwiches and appetizers are widely consumed in this cuisine.
Creole Recipes Popular in World Cuisine
- Jambalaya – This is one of the most popular recipes in Creole food. Jambalaya is a dish that is highly influenced by French and Spanish cuisine. It this dish usually chicken or sausages are used that are cooked with celery onion and pepper.
- Gumbo – It is a kind of soup that was originated in South Louisiana. Gumbo mainly consists of meat, roux and the combination of celery, onion and pepper.
- Red bean and rice – This is the traditional and emblematic dish of Creole food that is typically made as comfort food in most of the households.
All these dishes are popular in world cuisine as well as prepared during large celebrations and festivals in Louisiana.
Everyday Creole Recipes
- Accras – It is a sort of doughnut that is quite famous in Creole food. Accras is a savory doughnut that is filled with cod and vegetables. It is heated while serving.
- Souskai – This is a kind of salad that contains green fruits in grated form. Lemon juice, salt and pepper are used to season the dish.
- Cabri – A popular smoked goat dish.
Health Benefits of Creole Food
Creole food is a mélange of dishes prepared with some most exotic as well as healthy ingredients. The ‘holy trinity’ including celery, onion and pepper is the most beneficial ingredient in Creole cuisine. Other components like goat meat and shellfish are full of protein and vitamins.
Red bean and rice are the great sources of carbohydrates and energy. The cooking methods also involve very less fats; hence overall Creole recipes are highly nutritive.