It all started with the French back in 1718.
It was then that Sieur de Bienville discovered La nouvelle Orleans and set up shop in the port city. The French brought with them a unique culture and French bread – considered by some as the ingredient that established bread pudding, one of the most popular desserts in New Orleans.
I learned this in the New Orleans School of Cooking during my visit to the city. The chef, Kevin Belton, prepared pina colada bread pudding for the class as he gave us a quick background on some of the local cuisine and how they originated.
A lot of the dishes he was preparing – jambalaya, gumbo and pralines – had a French undertone but were also influenced by other cultures that turned New Orleans into the diverse ‘gumbo’ it is today.
Gumbo is perhaps the most popular dish in New Orleans and includes ingredients from all of the different cultures that shaped the city’s history such as the French, Spanish, American, Caribbean and West African.
This Creole fusion also came through in music, culture and literary works and distinguished the city from any other place in the U.S. and even the world.
Belton said that gumbo is a good example of Creole culture. The dish consists of flavored stock; a mix of seafood or meat and sausage; the African vegetable okra; the Choctaw file powder; roux, the French base made of flour; and the ‘holy trinity’ of Cajun cuisine: onions, celery and green peppers.
Belton also said that Louisiana cooking is not classical cooking meaning that you don’t have to follow the recipe step-by-step…you can apply your own style.
This liberal and diverse style found in Louisiana cooking can also be seen in the various districts and building designs in New Orleans.
For example, the exterior of the Bourbon Orleans hotel, part of the New Orleans Hotel Collection, in the French Quarter features traditional French designs from the mid 19th century and the interior is a blend of Spanish and French décor including deep colours such as forest green, navy blue and red.
The hotel is located by two New Orleans landmarks: the St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in North America, founded in 1720; and Jackson Square (Place d’Armes) where French colonial New Orleans was originally centered.
Some of the amenities that the hotel includes are balcony suites that overlook the French Quarter, free Wi-Fi, a salt water pool and two restaurants: Bourbon ‘O’ and Roux on Orleans, which serves one of the best gumbo dishes in the city.
BOULEVARD 