Elements of Cajun Cooking

By Dr. Joseph Frey

Elements of Cajun Cooking

Cajun cuisine originated in southern Louisiana, where a melding of French, Spanish, Native American, African, and German cultures led to a delicious blending of flavors. Here are some key features of Cajun cooking:

Making a roux. A roux is a gravy-like sauce that forms the base of many Cajun dishes, including gumbo. Though a roux is formed using simple ingredients (flour, water, and a fat such as oil or lard), the process itself requires a certain amount of culinary finesse.

Elements of Cajun Cooking

Blending spices. Cajun food is known for being spicy, and Cajun cooks do enjoy using spices. However, successful cooks are careful to ensure that the spices bring out the flavors of the food instead of overpowering them.

Using what you have. At the heart of Cajun cuisine is the ability to improvise. Because the people who first invented many Cajun dishes were poor, cooks relied on what was near at hand—seafood, vegetables, rice, and whatever else they could find.

About the Author

Dr. Joseph Frey has developed a passion for cooking the Cajun dishes his mother and grandmother used to prepare. Outside the kitchen, he advocates for the rights of families as Chief Executive Officer of his private psychology practice, Partners in Achievement.