For example, the well known trinity of Cajun vegetables which have become the hallmark ingredients of many southern meals--especially throughout the Acadiana Parishes and around New Orleans--are onions, celery and bell pepper. These three top the list.
The following is a list of the 10 most used herbs and spices in my kitchen. I use them to cook anything and everything Cajun--from Alligator Stew to Zesty Cajun Onion Rings.
Top 10 Herbs and Spices in My Cajun Kitchen
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| Cajun Trinity, Etc. |
- onions
- bell pepper
- celery
- garlic
- basil
- parsley
- oregano
- bay leaves
- ground red pepper
- ground black pepper
As mentioned earlier, the use of many of these popular herbs and spices will differ slightly from one Cajun cook to the next. And there are a few other herbs I've left off of my list because I either don't like the taste, or I have found other ways to achieve like results.
To give you an example, some Cajun and Creole cooks like to sprinkle a powder called file' in gumbo. It is made from the dried leaves of the sassafras tree and is used mainly as a thickening agent. I personally don't care much for the taste.
To give you an example, some Cajun and Creole cooks like to sprinkle a powder called file' in gumbo. It is made from the dried leaves of the sassafras tree and is used mainly as a thickening agent. I personally don't care much for the taste.
I prefer to use other plants products to thicken my gumbos and stews. A couple which come to mind are okra and all-purpose wheat flour which I use to make my roux. See: Easy Microwave Gumbo Roux | No Oil. No Fuss. No Mess
File', I've noticed, is used more by Creoles than by Cajuns. Word has it that this ancient culinary tip (using ground-up sassafras leaves to thicken stews) was passed down to the early settlers by indigenous natives--the Choctaw I think?
Please look around our site. You will discover tons of original Cajun recipes which use many of the above 10 herbs and spices.
Enjoy! Please come back and visit us soon.
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