The ingredients and cooking techniques involved come from a remarkable array of cultures and traditions--all of which have combined over the centuries to create a uniquely American story.

Cajun or Creole?

Creoles descended from the wealthy French and Spanish colonists who settled in southern Louisiana.

"Creole" also includes the African and Caribbean heritage of the region.
Creole cuisine was born in upper-class households and still carries the reputation of being more refined and fancy, and of using more expensive ingredients, than Cajun cooking.
Cajuns are the descendents of French colonists who settled in Acadia (modern-day Nova Scotia).

The Acadians were driven out of Canada in the 1750's and many fled to southern Louisiana.
They survived with the help of Choctaw Indians who taught them how to hunt and fish and forage.
Cajun (shortened from "Acadian") cuisine was developed by these hardy people who made do with whatever they could grow or hunt in the bayous and prairies of Louisiana.
Traditional Cajun dishes are cooked in one pot--a throwback to when the settlers had no stoves and did their cooking over open fires.