What is the difference between Creole and Cajun food?
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I’m the fourth generation of a family that took up Louisiana soil as it’s home. My great-grandparents were raised around the Lafayette area. My grandfather joined the Navy when he was old enough. He ultimately ended up working in the galley because everyone preferred his cooking. After his service he took up permanent residence in New Orleans. To this day, he refers to himself and his family as “coonasses”. I’m still not entirely certain what it means, but from what I can gather it was a derogatory term given to people of Creole origin. Yes, tomatoes and peppers are certainly a hallmark of Creole cuisine, but beyond that I’ve never been able to quantify a difference between Creole and “Cajun” food. The only real difference I could ever see was that Creole dishes had a lot more stews, and slow-cooked recipes. Other than that, it was just a bunch of mixed proteins and spices. People will tell you that the traditional jambalaya dish is ham and rice. I’ve never had a genuine New Orleans native make jambalaya with ham in it. Just like every other cultural tradition in America, it’s almost certainly a distant parody of what it initially was. So in summation, as what others have already said, the main difference is the use of tomatoes.
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