Italian Cooking Meets The Louisiana Bayou
from Italian Traditional Food

A Love Affair of Italian Cooking

There are a number of great restaurants lining the streets of New Orleans, many of which are of foreign decent. What many would not know however is that Italian cooking has taken this region by storm.

Sicilian immigrants made their way off the island, and on to American shores with a fantastic cuisine in tow. The Creoles took this cuisine at first with a grain of salt scoffing at the notion of heavy garlic use in a dish.

This way of thinking did not last long, and soon the Italian cooking style was embraced with a love affair that has only grown over the years. With their introduction to the area in the late 1800’s, the Italians have given the Louisiana Bayou a new style of cooking to rave about.

Red Gravy Hits New Orleans Like A Storm

When the Italians first arrived and started to showcase their wares in fine cuisine, the first thing the Creoles noticed was the “red gravy”. Unbeknownst to them at the time, this was actually tomato sauce that is to be used for pastas and other fine Italian dishes. While each differed from its neighboring counterpart, Creoles did not know at the time that this was a family specific in the tomato sauce.

Nonetheless they were not concerned, as they had fallen in love with this wonderful paste that was now adorning many of the fine meals that they were experimenting for the very first time. With the introduction of the Sicilians to the New Orleans area, the introductions of much seafood to plates containing the red gravy grew as well.

Those Sicilians Love Their Wine

What many of the Creoles were not familiar with at the time was the use of wines to cook fine cuisine. This was an Italian cooking specialty, and they brought it with them when they entered the area over 200 years ago.

The Italian Creole merge was a glorious event, one that will always be remembered in the cooking that you find along the streets of New Orleans today. The introduction of subtle wines to fine foods, was a remarkable thing for the Creoles and they took to it just as they did with everything else Italian with zest and appreciation.

The wine that the Italians were using was crisp and dry, lending a fine bite to the meals they were showcasing in their newly established restaurants along the strip.

Not The Only Influence

Just as Italian cooking forged a great merge with the Creoles of the Louisiana area, so too did many other influences. The Spanish also were embraced by the Creoles just as the Italians were before them. This did nothing to dampen the Great Spirit that was flourishing in the cuisine sectors of the city of New Orleans, and it still runs strong today.

By mixing what was great with both cultures, the Italian-Creole mix forged its own culture that is in the hearts of all that reside there and all that visit. Enjoy the Italian cooking infusion.

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