Gumbo

Gumbo adorns menus from New Orleans to New York to New Delhi, appearing in variations such as chicken and sausage gumbo, gombo z'herbes, and seafood gumbo. Some cooks use roux, others okra, and adding tomatoes to the pot can provide extra flavor or start a fight. Within this spirit of diversity lies the beauty of gumbo.Two culinary creations—West African okra stew and Choctaw soup—helped birth Louisiana gumbo. The Choctaw ground up sassafras, called filé, while West Africans like the Bambara provided okra and rice. From there, Spanish Caribbean influences introduced hot peppers and spices, the Germans pioneered smoked sausage and andouille, and the French devised the roux. Gumbo traces the history of how colonization, slavery, immigration, industry, and seasonality all had an impact on which ingredients wound up in the gumbo pot.

A much-needed study of what is arguably the most iconic dish of South Louisiana. Olivier delves deep into some of the surprising history of gumbo and highlights the interconnectedness of Louisiana's diverse groups as well as the links to European and Afro-Caribbean influences. As a writer-practitioner native to the region, Olivier provides a unique and well-informed perspective." - Nathan Rabalais, author of Folklore Figures of French and Creole Louisiana "Gumbo is considered a Cajun creation. Jonathan Olivier shows that a variety of cultures—across the bayou and across the ocean—had a hand in stirring this cherished Louisiana dish." - Herman Fuselier, host of "Zydeco Stomp" and author of Ghosts of Good Times: Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present "Carefully documented and artfully recounted, Jonathan Olivier's history of gumbo will help to set the record straight on Louisiana's most famous dish. Neither the property of one ethnic group nor the product of a single recipe, gumbo reflects the richness and complexity of the Gulf South's creolized cultural mix. Olivier's book is a must!" - Clint Bruce, Canada Research Chair in Acadian and Transnational Studies at Universite Sainte-Anne, Nova Scotia

Jonathan Olivier is a journalist who lives in Lafayette, Louisiana. His writing, in English and French, focuses on the unique cultural elements of the Bayou State.