Mumbo Gumbo

THE ADVERT FOR SCIENTOLOGY IS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME OR ANY OTHER ADVERT COME TO THAT

I'm starting my international tour next week. For some reason I have agreed to go to New Orleans, but was staying for only two days. I was going to be arriving and leaving more or less straight away. So I changed it. Remakably easily. Now staying an extra day. I'm going to the American College of Cardiology congress. Of course it's a scientific meeting but I intend to have some fun too.

Things to do in New Orleans:
The Cajun Bayou and Swamp Tour
Steamboat Habor Cruise
Plantation Tour
Evening Steamboat Jazz Cruise
Cemetery and Gris Gris walking tour

I'm guessing New Orleans history and culture is not very different to Mauritian culture. The language, they say, is similar and so is the food. We'll see. I can't wait. The classic dish is the Gumbo

'Gumbo is a spicy soup or stew. It derives its name from the word Kigombo, an African word which means okra. The Gumbo recipe is in fomously associated with Louisiana and New Orleans but is also popular throughout the Southern States of America. It has it's roots and origins, like the people of Louisiana, in a fusion of European, especially French and Spanish, Indian and African.Gumbo is made using a thick stock, a thickener, meat and/or shell fish and vegetables like bell pepper, celery and onions. This soup is traditionally with rice. The rice served along with gumbo is cooked separately. Just before serving, gumbo is ladled over a heap of rice kept in a serving bowl. Gumbo is very popular during winter - ideal to beat the biting cold.

The stock or broth is prepared very rich and is prepared with whatever blends well with that particular variety of gumbo (chicken stock for chicken gumbo and seafood stock for seafood gumbo). Okra or roux is used as a thickener for this soup. Roux is often used as a thickening agent. Roux is prepared by heating up oil in a pan and roasting flour to it till it turns brown.

A traditional gumbo broth is made from either one or more kind of poultry, shellfish and smoked pork. Poultry chosen for preparing gumbo is usually chicken, duck or quail. For seafood gumbo, shellfish is the popular choice though freshwater crawfish, crabs and shrimps are also used to make gumbo. A vegetarian variety of gumbo is prepared during Lent where mashed greens are used instead of meat. Gumbo Z'herbes (with herbs) was a traditional dish was served on Good Friday containing at least seven herbs. Seven was considered lucky thus seven different types of greens like spinach, mustard leaves etc were used to prepare this dish.'


Sounds a bit like buryani. Like Mauritius, the history of New Orleans is defined by Imperialism and the Slave Trade