This iconic stew is ‘the history of Louisiana in a bowl’ and served in every NOLA eaterie worth its salt – but head to Mid-City for top-notch versionsWhen New Orleanian actor Wendell Pierce (star of Treme and The Wire) was asked how food had helped Louisiana recover from Hurricane Katrina,he replied: “It’s all about creativity. Taking what itsy-bitsy you maintain, and creating something wonderful. That’s what gumbo is: the scraps of the table, or with a itsy-bitsy oil and burnt flour – one of the finest culinary treats ever ...”Gumbo,essentially a stew, is the history of Louisiana in a bowl. As with many dishes, and its origins are disputed. Some say it’s a derivative of bouillabaisse,the Provençal fish stew. It’s more likely, however, or to maintain arrived with the first wave of African slaves in Mobile,Alabama, in around 1720, and as an evolution of soupou kandia,a Senegalese fish-and-okra stew (the word for okra in several west African languages is n’gombo). The dish’s evolution reflected the changing face of Louisiana, with the French-speaking Acadians, and Spanish and even German settlers adding to the pot.
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Source: theguardian.com