Cajun Culture in Louisiana

[Mith242]

Thanks for the info Nate and Tom. Does anyone know where pockets of cajuns are outside the state? I used to have family near Beaumont Texas. Seems like I remember hearing that a lot of people from Louisiana, including cajuns, had come over to work in the oil industry around there. I was curuous if there are other pockets in other areas that anyone was aware of.

[jcestes4]

If accents are an indicator there is a pretty good pocket of them in Hancock County - the extreme western end of the MS gulf coast.

[Mith242]

If accents are an indicator there is a pretty good pocket of them in Hancock County - the extreme western end of the MS gulf coast.

Thanks for the info, I had wondered if they might also end up across state borders on the other side as well.

[Mith242]

This doesn't really apply just to Cajuns but since this seems to be the main non-development type topic around I'll post it here. I get the impression that rice plays a rather large part in cuisine in Louisiana. I find it a bit ironic since Arkansas grows more rice than any other state but I don't think it plays as bit a role here. Granted I guess it does in the area of the state like Stuttgart where much of it is grown. My parents grew up in that area and I've noticed eat a lot of rice but I don't see it used so much in many other areas of the state.

[NCB]

Rice plays a very important role in Louisiana's cuisine, especially southern Louisiana. Historically, rice was viewed as a cheap, easy to find, yet healthy and filling food. This is why it became so popular early on for poorer families in New Orleans. The creole foods that New Orleans is famous for; Gumbo, ettoufe, bisque, and other saucey dishes are traditionally served over rice. Dishes like Red Beans and rice and Jamabalaya are also very well know rice dishes.

I don't know as much about rice in Cajun cuisine as I do in the Creole cuisine. Perhaps jcestes4 could tell us a bit about rice in the Cajun culture.

[Mith242]

Rice plays a very important role in Louisiana's cuisine, especially southern Louisiana. Historically, rice was viewed as a cheap, easy to find, yet healthy and filling food. This is why it became so popular early on for poorer families in New Orleans. The creole foods that New Orleans is famous for; Gumbo, ettoufe, bisque, and other saucey dishes are traditionally served over rice. Dishes like Red Beans and rice and Jamabalaya are also very well know rice dishes.

I don't know as much about rice in Cajun cuisine as I do in the Creole cuisine. Perhaps jcestes4 could tell us a bit about rice in the Cajun culture.

I think Louisiana used to be the major rice producing state for a while after South Carolina. I just find it odd that Arkansas is now on top by quite a bit but I don't think it's necessarily incorporated into the cuisine very much. If you can say that Arkansas has a cuisine that is. Just an odd thing I thought of, as I post odd material here.

[TSmith]

I have heard that Louisiana leads the nation in rice consumption, per capita.

[Mith242]

I have heard that Louisiana leads the nation in rice consumption, per capita.

I wouldn't be surprised. I have gotten the impression that rice is much more a part of the usual cuisine than most other places in the US.

[NCB]

This thread hasn't been active for quite some time, but does anyone else have anything to share or ask?

[breaux]

I would mention a couple of things:

Creole is, IMO, now used more to classify African American and American Indian French speaking people and their descendants. In Acadiana, this is the common use of the word Creole, and Creole music refers to the predecessor of Zydeco.

The capital of Acadiana is certainly Lafayette. St. Martinville is important historically, but Lafayette has the festivals, largest Mardi Gras outside of New Orleans, lots of Cajun venues, Vermillionville, Acadian Village, and many great restaurants for a city of its size. As well, it's centrally located. For great Cajun music, Mamou or Eunice to the north is where you should go. For hunting and fishing, to the south. The city also bills itself as the capital of Cajun Country.

There are a lot of Cajuns in the Golden Triangle area of east Texas, though I doubt very many in Hancock County.

Also, Baton Rouge is heavily influenced by the Protestant north, IMO. There is a mix of Cajun and Creole, but the predominant feeling of the city to me is that of a strong southern city.

[NCB]

Thanks alot for the info, breaux, especially the part about Cajun Country.

Also, Baton Rouge is heavily influenced by the Protestant north, IMO. There is a mix of Cajun and Creole, but the predominant feeling of the city to me is that of a strong southern city.

I completely agree. Baton Rouge is much influenced by the Protestand north than any other major city in SE Louisiana, IMO, and it is easy to see this in the city sometimes.

BTW, welcome to UrbanPlanet, breaux!

[Mith242]

I would mention a couple of things:

Creole is, IMO, now used more to classify African American and American Indian French speaking people and their descendants. In Acadiana, this is the common use of the word Creole, and Creole music refers to the predecessor of Zydeco.

The capital of Acadiana is certainly Lafayette. St. Martinville is important historically, but Lafayette has the festivals, largest Mardi Gras outside of New Orleans, lots of Cajun venues, Vermillionville, Acadian Village, and many great restaurants for a city of its size. As well, it's centrally located. For great Cajun music, Mamou or Eunice to the north is where you should go. For hunting and fishing, to the south. The city also bills itself as the capital of Cajun Country.

There are a lot of Cajuns in the Golden Triangle area of east Texas, though I doubt very many in Hancock County.

Also, Baton Rouge is heavily influenced by the Protestant north, IMO. There is a mix of Cajun and Creole, but the predominant feeling of the city to me is that of a strong southern city.

Interesting info. I remember hearing something about cajuns being in southeast Texas when my sister lived in Beaumont. I think a lot went there for the oil related jobs.

[Trel-Ellis]

I agree NCB, as a native of baton rouge, there's lots of creole and cajun influence, but overall it has a feel of its own. I always thought of that, its like when your in new orleans, you know it. Also for cajun country. But in baton rouge its very louisianian yet so different from n.o and lafayette. The strange thing is that its directly between n.o and lafayette. I guess you can say baton rouge isnt really a historical city to the point it developed its own significance... Me personally, i would call it the "melting pot of south louisiana".

[richyb83]

Yes Trel-Ellis Baton Rouge seems to be a crossroads of many different cultures, accents, religons, swamps (south,west) and rolling hills in the Feliciana's to the north. And like New Orleans is world-famous for it's cuisine, Baton Rouge also does an excellent job when it comes to it's food and restaurants. When people move away from BR they will say they miss the food the most.

I like the fact BR is located between Lafayette and New Orleans.

[elise]

I live in Baton Rouge, but my mom's side of the family is historically Cajun... and to further the whole melting pot theory about BR, my dad is from Iowa and is of German decent. Anyways, my grandmother on my mom's side has been doing a lot of research into our genealogy and has been filling us all in on our heritage and the one thing I found most upsetting is how much we've lost touch with our Cajun background.

When I was little I asked my grandmother how much Cajun she knew and she only knew a little bit. (Enough to fuss at us in Cajun... and to talk a little bit to some Cajun friends but not much more.) She said that she didn't know more because back then students were discouraged from speaking Cajun in Baton Rouge (and perhaps in others parishes). And her mother and father worked so much they didn't have time to teach it to her at home, and even then, they didn't know as much as their parents did. So as each generation past they learned less and less Cajun. And now that we're the current generation, we're kind of disappointed.

BR really is such a melting pot right now... I know so many people who speak both English and Spanish, Vietnamese, Hindi, etc. And I know a lot of African Americans learning the languages of their mother country. Honestly, I feel left out because our family didn't work to save that part of our heritage and I can't find as many resources to learn it as easily as other languages. Every other part of the Cajun Culture I'm caught up on... I fish, I took Cajun dancing lessons when I was little, I know how to cook every Cajun dish I know... I just wish I could speak the language, too.

[Trel-Ellis]

I live in Baton Rouge, but my mom's side of the family is historically Cajun... and to further the whole melting pot theory about BR, my dad is from Iowa and is of German decent. Anyways, my grandmother on my mom's side has been doing a lot of research into our genealogy and has been filling us all in on our heritage and the one thing I found most upsetting is how much we've lost touch with our Cajun background.

When I was little I asked my grandmother how much Cajun she knew and she only knew a little bit. (Enough to fuss at us in Cajun... and to talk a little bit to some Cajun friends but not much more.) She said that she didn't know more because back then students were discouraged from speaking Cajun in Baton Rouge (and perhaps in others parishes). And her mother and father worked so much they didn't have time to teach it to her at home, and even then, they didn't know as much as their parents did. So as each generation past they learned less and less Cajun. And now that we're the current generation, we're kind of disappointed.

BR really is such a melting pot right now... I know so many people who speak both English and Spanish, Vietnamese, Hindi, etc. And I know a lot of African Americans learning the languages of their mother country. Honestly, I feel left out because our family didn't work to save that part of our heritage and I can't find as many resources to learn it as easily as other languages. Every other part of the Cajun Culture I'm caught up on... I fish, I took Cajun dancing lessons when I was little, I know how to cook every Cajun dish I know... I just wish I could speak the language, too.

[byrde]

Languages other than English were discouraged in many areas of south LA. My grandmother grew up in Grand Coteau. (St. Landry Parish) She and my Grandfather were Creole and spoke Creole until they started elem. School back the early 1900's. Once they got to school, they were not allowed to speak it on school property.

I have always view BR as melting pot. My mother is from Jennings and my father is from Shreveport so I have the best of both worlds.