Gumbo - (Louisiana True) by Jonathan Olivier (Paperback)

About the Book

"Perhaps no other Louisiana dish is as well-known as gumbo. Yet, as ubiquitous as it is, gumbo remains one of the least-understood and most-debated foods from the Bayou State. While everyone claims to know what gumbo is, practically no one can agree on what goes in one. Chicken or seafood, okra or filâe, tomatoes or no tomatoes? Bear fat was once a staple in gumbo, corn meal was incorporated into the dish before rice was, and ham was once more common than smoked sausage. Disputes also extend to gumbo's origins. Is it Cajun or Creole? Does it hail from Africa, France, or North America? Over the decades, historians have pieced together clues to explain gumbo's likely origin story and yet they have never reached a consensus, allowing plenty of room for varied interpretations and explorations. In Gumbo, Jonathan Olivier draws on interviews with academics and chefs, original historical documents, and anecdotal personal information to consider the evolution of gumbo in the Pelican State. Oliver canvasses its origins in eighteenth-century Louisiana and moves on to the changes gumbo underwent in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries due to the commercial of agriculture and general commercialization. He concludes with contemporary takes on the dish. Overall, this book provides a comprehensive look at gumbo that will inform and entertain both Louisiana readers and visitors to the state"--

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"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

"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 Université Sainte-Anne, Nova Scotia

"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

About the Author

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.