Column: Southern vs. Cajun

So this week in my Southern culture course, we get to learn about food.
I am so excited.

What we’ve been learning about in the course so far pertains to everything in the South after the Civil War. Makes sense, right?

So of course we’re going to be talking about traditional Southern food. Visions of Paula Deen and endless amounts of gravy come to mind.

But that obviously does not describe the entire menu for the South. The Carolinas are known for their barbecue. Louisiana is known for its Cajun-style cooking.

Ahh, Louisiana.  

This, I guess, is what confuses me about Southern cooking.

Cajun and Creole foods are similar to, but not truly like, other Southern foods. Actually, the whole culture is different than the stereotypical Southern culture.

I asked a friend in my class about it since she grew up in Tennessee and considers herself to be a true Southern girl. She said she felt Cajun culture is separate from Southern culture, but she didn’t specify if it was completely outside of the Southern culture.

So is Cajun or Creole food really Southern?

I’m just wondering because we can bring food in to class this week. What would my class’s response be to me bringing dirty rice or jambalaya?

Heck, what if I even just brought fried chicken, but with different, spicier seasonings?
Look at KFC and Popeyes. I’ve always preferred Popeyes’ seasonings to KFC’s, but what does my opinion matter?

The general recipe is bound to be similar. Just dip pieces of chicken into the ingredients you choose and fry it. Drain and finish, or repeat if you’d like crispier chicken.

But the flavors that come through, whether it’s because of the oil used or the seasonings, is going be different.

Is Cajun food still a type of Southern food, or is it like saying Greek food is separate from Mediterranean? Or is it like saying traditional Italian pizzas are more southern Italian food than general Italian food?

To be honest, I’m not really sure what to think.  

The deal with Cajun culture is that it would be different if it weren’t for the ways of Southern culture. I don’t know how different it would be, but it would not be everything that we associate with Cajun culture.

So wouldn’t this influence the food and change what people who consider themselves Cajun eat?

I’m probably just overthinking this. My assumption is that most people would say, “Does it really matter? And who cares?”

Nonetheless, on Thursday I will be bringing in some kind of Southern food to class. My friend from Tennessee is hoping to bring a type of hors d’oeuvres involving pickled okra. If I have the time to make them, I’d like to make johnnycakes or my dad’s amazing biscuits.

And I guess I’ll find the answer to my hankering question soon enough. But who knows, maybe I’ll sneak a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce to class to get a kick of Cajun spice.