Raised on Louisiana gumbo, a curious food writer traveled to Benin to discover the dish’s origins in West Africa. Brought to the US by African slaves, the okra-based stew survived a very long journey and underwent a variety of modifications on its way to becoming gumbo. Louisiana gumbo carries on the essence of West African okra stew in that it provides a bowl of well-seasoned fish and seafood, meat and vegetables encased in a thickened sauce and is served with a carbohydrate. In Louisiana, it’s rice. In West Africa, it’s fufu, a sticky bread made from cassava used to scoop the contents from the bowl. But Louisiana’s gumbo is also distinct in that it starts with a roux, a French thickening technique made by cooking a mixture of flour and butter or other fat (in gumbo’s case, it’s cooked to an almost chocolate colour). The introduction of the roux to Louisiana gumbo stems from the Acadians (Cajun ancestors), French colonists who were ultimately exiled from French-Canada in the mid-1700s, eventually settling in Louisiana.
More Stories
The Challenges Facing the New Leader of Africa’s Largest Economy are Simply Enormous
Understanding the Opinions of Africa’s Rising Generation
SA Reserve Bank Concerned about the Rand’s Recent Meltdown and Persistent Price Pressures
Africa’s Banking Sector Celebrates
ICYMI Sam Altman Made a Stop in Lagos
Is African Debt as Perilous as Foreign Lenders Assume?
Accra’s IPPs Threaten Shutdown Over Non-Payment
DRC To Change the Way it Does Business with China
Maputo Picks a Partner for its Hydro Plans
Results of the Kenya Small Firm Diaries study in Nairobi
Africa Day this Year Marks 60 Years since the Founding of the Organisation of African Unity
Zimbabwe Retailers Head to the Streets