How is "Cajun Country" / Acadiana different? (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: transplants, school)

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by cBach

The only other cultures that eat crawfish are the Chinese and the Vietnamese. There are "Viet-Cajun" joints in Houston that boil crawfish but they mainly borrowed the recipe from Cajuns and modified it. In China they serve crawfish cold.

Louisiana (or other Cajun restaurants) is the only place I can get crawfish ettouffee, a crawfish poboy, crawfish monica, crawfish pie, etc... If I'm wrong then please tell me where I can get that in upstate NY?

Crawfish are eaten all over the world, not just in the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish_as_food

[cBach]

Originally Posted by sluggermatt15

Crawfish are eaten all over the world, not just in the United States.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish_as_food

But Acadiana dominates the crawfish market:

"In the United States, crayfish are often referred to as crawfish or crawdads. As of 2005, Louisiana supplied 95% of the crayfish harvested in the United States.[9] In 1987, Louisiana produced 90% of the crayfish harvested in the world, 70% of which were consumed locally."

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish_as_food

[sluggermatt15]

Originally Posted by cBach

But Acadiana dominates the crawfish market:

"In the United States, crayfish are often referred to as crawfish or crawdads. As of 2005, Louisiana supplied 95% of the crayfish harvested in the United States.[9] In 1987, Louisiana produced 90% of the crayfish harvested in the world, 70% of which were consumed locally."

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish_as_food

Sure does. You can find crawfish elsewhere in the US, but they are not nearly a part of those cultures as they are in Louisiana. Obviously.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

True! I forgot to mention how important Mardi Gras is there. America knows about it, tourists know the NOLA version, but it's really a legit holiday all over Acadiana.

I lived just outside of it in the "west Florida" region. Just an hour's drive south or west and the whole vibe was different.

The west Florida parishes were a lot more traditionally Dixie southern rather than Cajun, with heavy ties to Mississippi.

Even in Denham Springs, Hammond, and Ponchatoula most locally restaurants still have ettoufee, po boys, and boudin. I know Ascension and West Baton Rouge parishes are classified as part of Acadiana but they still feel very different than the Lafayette area or Lake Charles.

Lake Charles is the only place in Louisiana where I've actually heard French spoken by locals. Both were at the park on Prien Lake. I've visited Lafayette more and don't remember hearing French. I've honestly never heard French spoken in Baton Rouge or Livingston Parish, ever except for some friends who know a couple curse words in French. They'll admit the ONLY French they know is one or two curse words!

The Catholic religion also stands out in Cajun country, and the people there tend to be true, traditional Catholics who attend church regularly and believe the Bible, not the nominal Catholics you see in New Jersey or Boston who really aren't serious about their religion.

[Sassybluesy]

Originally Posted by Innotech

DISHES. as in cuisine. Aussies do not eat crawfish. It is not part of other places culinary culture like it is in Louisiana. We put crawfish in and on many dishes. To other places they are just a nuisance.



Yes zydeco originated around New Orleans. Zydeco is a slang thought to be derived from "Les haricots" which means snap beans in french.

Actually, zydeco originated in Southwest Louisiana. But I'm sure on any given day, there's Zydeco getting played SOMEWHERE in New Orleans. :-)

[adventuregurl]

Originally Posted by Innotech

DISHES. as in cuisine. Aussies do not eat crawfish. It is not part of other places culinary culture like it is in Louisiana. We put crawfish in and on many dishes. To other places they are just a nuisance.



Yes zydeco originated around New Orleans. Zydeco is a slang thought to be derived from "Les haricots" which means snap beans in french.

Les haricots translates to just "beans"...no snap included

[DeanGuitarist]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

There is a type of music that is played here in our area at some of our music festivals that is called: ...ZYDECO.....
Am I correct that it is a type of music that has it's origin from some area in Louisiana?

There's Zydeco AND French (Cajun). Sometimes there's a mixture of both.

[Sassybluesy]

And, IMO, Cajun Country/Acadiana is synominous.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by adventuregurl

Les haricots translates to just "beans"...no snap included

"Les haricots ne sont pas salés," which literally translates to "the snap beans aren't salty" meaning that times are hard.

Incidentally, green beans are known by many common names, including French beans, string beans, snap beans, snaps, and the French name, haricots vert.

[AguaDulce]

Originally Posted by 2ner

How is Acadiana or "Cajun Country" different from the rest of the South or the rest of the USA? Do discernible cultural differences still exist? If so, what are they?

As a southerner, what I notice most about the difference between The South and Cajun Country is that Cajun Country is a predominantly Catholic area, therefore it doesn't have the judgmental Bible Belt vibe that much of the South has.