Harrys New Orleans Cafe & Oyster Bar

For some it may be strange, almost foreign.  For others, it's the only type of food. But there are those who believe that Cajun-Creole cooking is one of the strongest forms of culinary expression.
Cajun-Creole cuisine is a fusion cuisine, combining several cultures, ingredients, techniques and flavors that make it a unique offering to those who seek harmony and passion in their food. It is a reflection of identity in the city of Orleans New, Louisiana,  part of its history, alongside other well known New Orleans (and Louisiana in General) offerings such as Jazz and Mardi Gras.

The term Cajun is attributed to the rustic kitchen of the French farmers, which is characterized by hot and spicy flavors. Meanwhile, the Creole name corresponds to the fusion of traditions in gastronomic practice of the Spanish, French and Africans who lived on the banks of the River  Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain, which contributed the crucial ingredients of certain fish, shellfish, oysters and crawfish, which characterize
as a more refined and subtle cuisine.

Among the typical Cajun-Creole dishes, is Jambalaya, which is a sort of paella, made of rice with shrimp, scallops, ham or sausage and a Creole sauce or salsa-based tomato. "Jambalaya" per se is a term that accurately reflects the Afro-French mix, because it brings the French ('jambon', ham) and African ('ya', rice) into a new word
which basically means "rice with ham."

Another delight of this cuisine is the Gumbo, a stew made from
okra, file powder, roux, often rice, and a protein or proteins, which can be seafood or meat. In this case, "Gumbo" derives from the word "gombo" which means okra in Bantu* which is a pod from Africa that was originally used in preparation of this dish. There are many more dishes, and as with these, each has its history, which I would love to talk about on another occasion.

For now I bid farewell with a phrase typical of New Orleans: "Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler," which means "Let the good times last."

* Bantu: language spoken by the ethnic melanoaficanas, living from Cameroon to South Africa.

(Extracted from http://www.saberadonde.com/SAD_Abr_2010.pdf)

(translated to English by <Administrator> from original Spanish article by Chef Juan Carlos Barrera Robles, executive Chef for Harry's Querétero.)