For most of us, the only way to appreciate the quality of New Orleans cuisine might be to order a classic Creole or Cajun dish from a restaurant near where we live. But try to find a good plate of jambalaya in Chicago, for example, or an outstanding bowl of gumbo in Buffalo. It's harder than it sounds. Therefore, visitors to New Orleans face a strict obligation to their taste buds: sample as many local specialties as possible while in town. Let us help introduce you to some of those gastronomic delights.
The first dishes that come to mind when most people think of food from New Orleans are the two already mentioned—gumbo and jambalaya. Gumbo is a stew or soup that includes poultry or pork; a strong, rich stock; a thickener, such as roux or filé powder; and the vegetable "trinity" of celery, bell peppers, and onions. Shrimp, crab, crawfish, and other types of seafood are often included.
Jambalaya is a stew made by cooking meats such as chicken and andouille sausage in a large pot and mixing them with vegetables, rice, and sometimes seafood. The Creole version of the dish includes tomatoes, whereas the Cajun version doesn't.
One of the features that distinguishes jambalaya from gumbo is the treatment of the rice: in jambalaya, the rice cooks with the meat-and-vegetable stock and soaks up its flavor, but in gumbo, the rice is cooked separately and is used as a bed for the main dish.
Many other fine dishes originated from the bayou region. Oysters Rockefeller was first served at Antoine's, a famous New Orleans restaurant. This oyster recipe, which other restaurants around the country have often imitated, consists of an oyster, parsley, and parmesan cheese topped with a rich buttery sauce as well as herbs and breadcrumbs.
A po'boy (poor boy) is a traditional New Orleans submarine sandwich. It consists of meat or seafood, usually fried, served on baguette-like Louisiana French bread. The Louisiana French bread is the key ingredient that differentiates po'boys from submarine sandwiches, gyros, and grinders.
It is important to mention that much of the seafood in these dishes comes from local aquaculture. Oysters are harvested from open-water aquaculture operations in the Gulf of Mexico, whereas many finfish and crawfish are raised in manmade ponds. These practices help to ease the depletion of wild fish stocks, prevent pollution of natural waters, and avoid loss of critical habitat that the demand for seafood creates.
It would be a shame to pass through the Crescent City without indulging in some of its fine desserts. Bananas Foster originated at Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans. This treat combines bananas and vanilla ice cream with a sauce of various sugars, rums, and liquors that is usually ignited at the table to entertain patrons.
And don't leave town without trying a beignet. This pastry, sometimes called a French doughnut, is a piece of deep-fried dough buried under powdered sugar. It is a light-textured sweet and is often served in cafes.
