Where and who started Cajun smoking – origin?
With such an amazing technique, the question that pops in every foodie’s mind is- Who started Cajun smoking? Cajun smoking allows you to prepare some really amazing recipes in the comfort of your home. It is a great technique to prepare your meat in a classic way. An authentic Cajun meal will have you licking your fingers in no time. It is a great way to make your food tastier and filled with more flavor and great smell.
Knowing about the history of your favourite cooking technique is amazing on many fronts. Firstly, you get to know about the rich culture that helped in making Cajun smoking as loved as it is today. You also get to know about many aspects of the technique that are not so common or are left behind as years go by. New modifications are good no doubt, but learning about some original methods can also help you become better at Cajun smoking
So, today we will talk about how Cajun smoking came into origin. We will talk about the people who made Cajun food as amazing as it is. We will also touch up on the “where” of Cajun smoking. It will be a journey all the way back to the backyard of some enthusiastic foodies, who wanted to make their food, tastier, healthier, and thus filled with enthusiasm, they started the phenomena called- Cajun.
How Cajun Came To Be
Cajun smoking was inspired by the mesmerizing French cooking. The population that developed Cajun smoking mostly lived off on land. What it means is that the people and the cuisine, both adapted centuries of cultural and geographical variations to reach the level they are now known for.
If we have to describe Cajun food in a single sentence, it would be this – It is an amalgamation of different kinds of culture all thrown together. The Acadian were a group of people on whose name, the word Cajun evolved. They were known for being a closely knit society which helped every individual to shine on their own. Much like Cajun cuisine in which every ingredient has a distinct flavor.
Once the people of the Acadian culture started to settle in Louisiana, they were able to come into the contact of people that belonged to other cultures. Germans, Black Creoles, Americans were some such cultures. Italians and Spanish people were also a part of the connection. This is how the Cajun culture started to form in its own. Just as it happens with any culture, the mixing of different cultures into that of the Acadian culture allowed Cajun to grow well.
During the time of the settlement of Acadian people in Louisiana, the Cajun cuisine was mostly known to be the food of the peasants. It mostly consisted of taking vegetables from the land and then throwing all of them in a single pot. This was then followed by mixing in the pot, different land animals that were found in the area at those times. It was an amazing way to prepare food and all the people were served to their heart’s content.
The pot would then be served along with rice and the delicious food was also able to provide nutritional value. The dish we are talking about has seen many different variations over the course of time and is now called as Gumbo. It is one of the most famous Cajun dishes.
Gumbo is a dish that is loved by every food enthusiast who has had the pleasure of trying out Cajun food. It is easy to prepare and makes you fall in love with Cajun cuisine. If you are new to Cajun smoking, we will suggest you try and have a Gumbo before you dive into the world of Cajun cuisine. It is a great dish that can be made in the comfort of your home and does not require much expertise. All it needs is for you to be a foodie at heart!
Another famous Cajun cuisine is Jambalaya. It is a dish based on gravy. It is served with rice. Cayenne and black pepper are some other spices that have been added to the Cajun cuisine. Cajun cuisine is mostly know to people because of these 2 amazing dishes. Foodies all around the world enjoy the taste of these recipes and you can try them too, to get a taste of the amazing world of cuisine that is Cajun.
The community of Cajun is mostly based up on the different traditions. Crawfish Boil is an event that is famous in America and is known for the rich traditional history that it has. It has an easy concept that can be understood even by a novice. The boiling of Crawfish is offered to all the people present at the event. It can become quite a messy event as the Crawfish is boiled with the shell being intact. The people then need to crack the shell and devour the meat.
In a similar way, there is an event related to the butchering of a pig which is called “Boucherie.” It is an event related to the butchering of the pig and the people come together to celebrate it. Such events in the community do the work of bringing the people together. The people of a community enjoy the event and cherish the memories for long. The people enjoy being in the company of their friends and the food is great too. All in all, it becomes an event that everyone enjoys to the fullest.
Another thing to be kept in mind about the Cajun culture is that it has always been affiliated with the geographical locations. Seafood influences present in the Cajun cuisine is because the people always used to fish the waterways of Louisiana. The people were self sufficient and were able to live well as a group. They hunted and fished together and then dined together too.
With the passage of time, Cajun smoking has been paving its way in the homes and hearts of food enthusiasts all around the globe. The tasty dishes that Cajun cuisine provided to the people has made them celebrate Mardi Gras and an event called Fat Tuesday. Cajun, French culture and Creole have been mixed in New Orleans and foodies flock there to have some amazing dishes at their disposal. So, looking back, we can thank the Acadians that they moved around from one place to the other since it is because of them that we are able to enjoy such amazing dishes.
The Holy Trinity Of Cajun Smoking
Celery, chopped onions and bell pepper are hailed as the Holy Trinity of Cajun smoking. Every authentic Cajun recipe has these as the main ingredients. They are used by chefs who know how to make a delicious Gumbo or to prepare a mouth watering Jambalaya. These 3 ingredients are the back bone of any Cajun dish that you will get to try.
These ingredients along with some other spices are the root to make up some amazing recipes in your home. Stew, sauce, soup, and many other dishes like this can be made up by using these ingredients. You should know that Louisiana variant of French mirepoix is what is called the Holy Trinity nowadays. Cajun smoking is based up on the use of these amazing ingredients.
Onion, bell pepper and celery are called the Holy Trinity as a sign of respect. Cajun chefs know the vital value of these ingredients and thus the name. Garlic can also he added sometimes. Green onions can also be sprinkled over the top of a finished Cajun dish. The whole recipe becomes all the more tasty and delightful to eat when you use these ingredients. So, if you want to start Cajun smoking, you should know a lot about them.
With these vegetables, a foodie has the basic ingredients of almost every other Cajun dish. The trinity vegetables are also called as seasoning vegetables by many chefs. They are used in every Cajun dish and are absolutely essential to be present whenever you think if preparing Cajun cuisine for your friends and family. An important thing to be kept in mind is that the trinity vegetables are not meant to be the ingredient vegetables per se. Their main job is to season the other ingredients.
The vegetables are cooked in vegetable oil. Flour is often added to them to make a roux, about which, we will talk subsequently. These are the vital things about the much celebrated Holy Trinity that you should have an idea about. It will not only help you become a better Cajun cook but also help you make an impression in front of a food enthusiast who loves Cajun smoking.
The Cajun Roux
Whenever you will start to make any kind of Cajun dish, you will be told to start off by making a Roux. Roux has been used to thicken savory dishes for a long time. It was first used in France. Butter and flour were used to make it. It is a mixture that is heated for some time before the flour is cooked. It is the base for many sauces that are used and that have been used for Cajun smoking for centuries.
Butter is typical in French cooking and is thus the fat of choice to prepare a good Roux. You should have a good idea about roux before you start off with your first Cajun dish. It will help you in understanding the Cajun cuisine in a better way.
A roux which is made up of butter and flour is mostly used in Cajun cuisine. Cream, broth or milk is added, and it is then cooked for some time. This is done because cooking at high temperatures would lead to the burning of the butter. Another good thing about this mixture is that it can be prepared beforehand and be refrigerated and used whenever you are in the mood to make a new Cajun dish.
As time progressed, people became more and more obsessed with the idea that lard and butter did not belong in the kitchen plate. They thought that the number of calories and the health risks were not worth the taste. This all did change when Paul Pruddhome rose to the scene. We will be talking about him soon when we will discuss how he revolutionized the whole Cajun culture. Healthy food can also be tasty and this is a notion that took some time to be understood by people.
If as a foodie, you are still not sure whether lard is healthy or not, then let us help you. Lard is healthier than butter in the sense that it has lower content of saturated fat. 7 grams saturated fat is present in a single table spoon of butter. Compare this with lard which only has 5 grams of saturated fat per table spoon. The cholesterol content of lard is also lesser than butter. All these factors go on to prove that lard is in fact healthy for you.
Personalities Associated With Cajun Smoking
Cajun smoke was the brainchild of Shawn Ledet. Cajun smoking has become a great process to prepare some amazing dishes. Over the years, many people, or food enthusiasts to be more specific, gave their time and effort to take Cajun smoking to the place where it is today- in the hearts of every foodie who loves devouring a well prepared meat. These people not only invented new ways to prepare some great dishes but added their own techniques to make them more palatable.
Today, there are many cafes that serve Cajun food, which Paul Pruddhome termed as “Louisiana Cooking.” “And who is Paul Pruddhome?”, some of you may ask. Well he is one of the most decorated individuals when it comes to Cajun smoking. He revolutionized the area of Cajun food and made it all the more famous, with his wits, charm and the ability to make his viewers feel as if they are cooking with him
He was the chef proprietor of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans. He also had formerly owned and run several other restaurants. He developed many different culinary products, including “hot sauce” and seasoning mixes, and wrote 11 cookbooks. He was known for his unique style and humorous nature. To be saying that his way of describing a recipe was an appetizer on its own, would be nothing short of doing justice to his personality.
He, along with his wife, opened K Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. The name of the restaurant was made by the amalgamation of both their names. He worked as the head chef and his wife became the manager. In 1980, he was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the French Ordre National du Mérite Agricole in honor of his work with Cajun and Creole cuisines.
His cookbook, Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, was published by William Morrow and Company in 1984. It was given a Culinary Classic Book Award in 1989 by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Prudhomme has been credited with having popularized Cajun cuisine and, in particular, blackened redfish during the 1980s. The popularity of the fish was such that commercial fishing of the species was restricted to prevent its extinction.
Prudhomme was also credited with introducing the turducken into United States cuisine. After his death in 2015, Prudhomme’s personal library of nearly 600 cookbooks, food reference books and technical books on food science were donated to John and Bonnie Boyd Hospitality and Culinary Library, affiliated with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.
Justin Wilson was another famous personality who helped in making Cajun food reach every household. With his trademark wit, eccentricity, humor, enthusiasm charisma, Justin brought Cajun cuisine out of the swamps of Louisiana and increased its reach into the homes of all Americans.
Isaac Toups is another Chef who, with his amazing style and humor, has made Cajun food more famous than ever. He has been able to make people more interested in Cajun food. The way he shows the different styles of cooking has made the people more eager to try the style of Cajun cooking. His recipes are tried by all the foodies and loved by all.
With different styles and amazing methods, these people who were passionate about Cajun food, made Cajun cooking and Cajun cuisine more interesting, appealing, and famous in every other home. People have loved the different Cajun dishes. Cajun smoking has become a household name and more and more food enthusiasts are now trying the dishes taught by these famous chefs. With so much happening in relation to Cajun cuisine, it is good to know about its origin.
And as we come to the end of this piece, we hope that you must have got a taste of the rich history of Cajun. We hope that you will feel eager to try out the “holy trinity” yourself. We also hope that you will remember Paul Pruddhome and his amazing methods while cooking some of his most famous dishes. So, start cooking and enjoy the amazing style that is Cajun!