The Gift Boutique

1818 Veteran's Memorial Dr.

Abbeville 70510

Phone: 337-898-9159

Activities

services

shopping

What is gumbo and why is it different than the gumbo served in New Orleans?

Gumbo is a flour based soup mixture, made of different main ingredients. While those ingredients vary, they all begin the same. First you make a roux. Then you choose chicken, sausage, shrimp, crab, various seafoods and on and on. Gumbo will always be served with a spoonful of rice in the bowl and a side of potato salad. Unlike New Orleans, which serves Creole gumbo containing tomatoes and okra, southwest Louisiana gumbos are Cajun and contain no tomatoes and okra only when we desire it.

Bouquet Garni (boo-kay gar-nee)

An herb bouquet. A small cheesecloth bag containing 1 large bay leaf, teaspoon thyme, teaspoon dried basil, about 8 sprigs fresh parsley, teaspoon dried tarragon, 3 chopped green celery tops, 6 whole peppercorns and a slashed clove of garlic used in Cajun cooking