Although it seems that the American culture has conquered the world, its gastronomy is still a great unknown, at least outside the fast food. Actually, such an extremely large country with so many different regions also has a very varied cuisine, and if there is one that stands out is undoubtedly the southernwith fascinating dishes such as gumbo, étouffée or the jambalaya.
Usually referred to as “paella or rice with American things”, jambalaya is a perfect example that defines cajun and creole cuisinecompletely unique in the United States. Of humble origins but rich in ingredients and flavors, with a homely and festive soul, southern cuisine is a reflection of that mixture of cultures that make Louisiana a gastronomic paradise.
Southern cuisine, a melting pot of cultures with its own identity
The State of Louisiana is located in the southern part of the United States, bordering the Mississippi and Pearl rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its strategic location and the historical evolution of its inhabitants and settlers have gradually shaped a completely unique culture that stands out for its miscegenationwhich has its direct reflection in the kitchen.
Inhabited by indigenous American Indian tribes, in the 16th century the first Europeans arrived from Spain. Since then French and Spanish disputed the territories, establishing different colonies that left their mark on the area. The increase in slavery practices, especially since the end of the 18th century, brought many slaves of africabecoming a fundamental part of the population and culture of the area.
In this way, southern cuisine is today an example of miscegenation, of fusion of cultures and traditions that have come together to create their own universe from many ingredients. Both the Creole tradition or Creole Like the Cajun -more linked to the French past- they gather that mixture of European, indigenous and Caribbean flavors, enriched with the African influence.
It is a cuisine that never forget the humblest past, with dishes that combine a multitude of local ingredients, taking advantage of both sea and land products. They are family recipes, closely linked to their traditions and festivals, almost always forceful and designed to feed well but without forgetting the flavor and aromas, thanks to the key presence of spices.
Many of the most popular dishes in southern cuisine were born out of necessity or the adaptation of settlers and slaves to the new land, reinterpreting the cuisine of their places of origin to local circumstances. A) Yes, combining European tradition, cultural miscegenation and New World ingredientsLouisiana was creating a kitchen with its own identity.
Shrimp jambalaya recipe
One of the easiest versions to adapt to our kitchens is the jambalaya marinara with prawns or prawns, since the Creole or Cajun sausage is more difficult to find in Spain. We could call it “rice with things”, but it would be underestimating a dish with its own idiosyncrasy, evolution and cultural and historical importance.
Wash and dry the celery, chilli, bell pepper, spring onion stems and coriander or parsley. Remove the celery filaments and chop into small pieces. Chop the onion and the garlic clove. Remove the seeds from the chilli pepper and cut into thin slices. Cut the pepper into strips, without the seeds.
Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan or saucepan and poach the onion with the celery, the pepper and a pinch of salt, over low heat, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chilli -we can reserve a part to decorate- stir well and add all the spices.
Add the rice and cook for a minute. Add the tomato, the pepper, the broth or water and season very lightly -if we use broth, be careful, because of the level of salt-. Stir well, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat.
Let cook for about 25-30 minutes, checking the point of the rice. It should have lost almost all the liquid, although we don’t want a totally dry dish either. Add the prawns, cover and cook until they are cooked. Serve with chopped spring onion stems, cilantro or parsley, and more chilli or chilli.
Jambalaya: history and evolution of an iconic dish
The jambalaya is the perfect example of this fusion of cultures. Its most obvious direct ancestor is paella, or rather, Spanish rice disheswhich the Hispanic settlers would try to reproduce on American lands when settlements began to be established in the area.
The exact origin of the dish is unclear, as often happens with humble recipes that emerge little by little and gain popularity over the years. The earliest reference to the jambalaya is found in ‘Leis amours de Vanus; vo, Lou paysan oou théâtré‘, dated 1837, written in Provençal dialect; already in 1878 appears the first written and published recipe of which there is news of a more primitive version, in the ‘The Gulf City Cook Book’, under the name “jam bolaya”. By 1885, two local cookbooks already included recipes for jambalaya, more similar to how it is known today.
Apparently, due to the lack of saffron in the New World, the Spaniards tried to flavor the rice using tomato as the base of the sofrito, and that is today a sign that distinguishes the Creole jambalaya from the Cajun. In parallel, the Cajun heritage population developed their own version of the dish, without tomato, and adding spices and more local ingredients, such as game and fish products typical of the swamplands.
More than from the intention of replicating a specific European recipe, it is most likely that the dish simply arose out of necessity. Spanish and French would start from a kitchen that they already knew to incorporate local ingredients in the creation of a dish that would be accessible, simple and, above all, nutritious and energetic. And that is the key to its popularity.
Jambalaya can be cooked in a large pot or casserole to feed many hungry mouths, and the recipe can be adapted to the ingredients available at any time. The addition of different spices make it a comforting and tasty dish, and the incorporation of products from each culture adds its own local component.
Thus, different variants of the dish emerged, with different recipes in each family that were passed from generation to generation. To this day, jambalaya remains one of Louisiana’s favorite dishes, of which each house has its own unique touch, and which is identified with its own culture and traditional home character.
The passion for this dish came from homes, becoming one of the favorites to prepare in meetings, fairs and local festivals, cooking big pots outdoors to share between neighbors and visitors. It is a dish that is not lacking in great celebrations and there are even very popular contests, such as the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival, proclaimed as the “World Capital of Jambalaya”.
The origin of the name
The word jambalaya sounds very exotic and suggestive to us, and its origin is not exempt from a certain mystery which further increases its seductive power.
What there seems to be no doubt about is that it comes from the Spanish Ham Or better, from French ham -which is the origin of our word-. Pork ham, in fact, seems to be one of the ingredients that many purists do not forgive in a good jambalaya, although there are also many versions that do not include it.
It is believed that african influence contributed the governess to the name, which means rice, being therefore a word born from the need to somehow baptize a dish that is increasingly popular among the population. Other theories point to the Provençal origin of the term, linking it to jambalaiawhich would be a rice dish mixed with other ingredients.
A somewhat more fanciful legend attributes the invention to a traveler that, staying in a lodging house in Louisiana, she asked the cook, Jean, to cook something by “sweeping” or mixing whatever she had. The phrase in French, “Jean, balayez!”would derive in “jambalaya”.
Atakapa Native Americans attribute the invention to an indigenous expression equivalent to “bon appetit”, “Sham, pal ha! Already!”, whose pronunciation by Europeans would eventually become the jambalaya that the whole world knows today. Legends aside, it is clear that both the dish and its name are the result of a great mix of influences.
What exactly does jambalaya consist of?
Essentially, jambalaya is a mix of meat or fish and seafood with rice, vegetables and different dressings. The land and sea version has become popular, with chicken or pork, sausage and seafood, usually prawns or prawns, although the possibilities for combining ingredients are almost endless.
There are, however, two great variants: the Creole jambalaya and the Cajun. Creole version or Creole add tomato; the cajun no. The first acquires that characteristic reddish color that also gives it the nickname “red jambalaya”, while the variants of Cajun cuisine tend to have a more toasted and smoked background, since it is customary to let the meat and rice stick together. little in the background.
The usual vegetables that are not lacking in the sofrito are the “holy trinity” of both traditions: onion, pepper and celery. You can also add chives, garlic, carrots or chilies. Cajun recipes typically brown meats first before adding vegetables; the Creole version usually poaches them first, before adding the tomato.
As for the protein part, there are jambalaya recipes for all tastes. Being a dish of humble origin, the usual thing was throw everything that was available, taking advantage of leftovers of anything or making use of local hunting and fishing. And that includes certain products that we are not very used to here:
- Pig.
- Ham (usually leftovers).
- Sausages (the variety andouille is the most traditional, somewhat smoked) and other sausages such as chorizo.
- Chicken.
- Turkey.
- Duck.
- Cayman or alligator.
- Wild pig.
- Prawns or prawns.
- River crab.
- oysters
Spices and other seasonings can also vary quite a bit. Today there are cajun spice mixes comfortable to use, although the composition can vary a lot. They are usually black and white pepper, paprika, cayenne, bay leaf, thyme, fennel seeds, parsley, oregano or bay leaf. Sometimes spicy Tabasco sauce is added, also at the time of serving.
Since there is no canonical recipe, we could say that each master has his booklet in terms of technique. The cooking order of each ingredient, the amount of rice and broth, the cooking time or the combination of flame and oven add even more variety to this colorful dish.
The jambalaya is not a dry rice dish nor is it soupy, the grain should not burn but neither should it be a pasty paste. It has to be rich in ingredients, spicy and very fragrant, satiating and very comforting. A good jambalaya is the one that stays in the memory and makes you want to repeat even though you’re already more than satisfied.
Photos | iStock – City Foodsters – USA-Reiseblogger
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