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Don’t Confuse the Two in Louisiana
Jambalaya vs Gumbo
Jambalaya and Gumbo might seem similar to an outsider. Both have Creole and Cajun roots, both contain rice, they both start with the “holy trinity” of green bell peppers, celery, and onion, both are comfort foods, and they’re both often cooked in huge vats for celebrations like Mardi Gras. But they’re really two completely different foods, as any Louisianan will tell you. Jambalaya is a rice dish that can be served on a plate and eaten with a fork, while gumbo is a soup always eaten with a spoon.
Gumbo is arguably Louisiana’s most famous dish, and the one food you must try on a trip to New Orleans or elsewhere in the state. It has origins in West Africa, but also uses ingredients added by the Choctaws and possibly other local tribes. The roux––crucial to gumbo—comes from the French. Jambalaya draws on West African jollof and Spanish paella. Both showcase Louisiana’s history as a state that was formerly part of both Spain and France, had a large native population, and thrived thanks to hundreds of thousands of enslaved people from West Africa.
Both are often made for celebrations, like Mardi Gras. If you’re not in Louisiana, both make great comforting winter meals.
How is Jambalaya Different From Gumbo?
Jambalaya is a rice dish, while gumbo is a stew served with rice. It’s a one-pot rice dish that can be made red with tomato paste or brown with beef broth. There are fewer rules with jambalaya than there are with gumbo. You can add garlic, sausage, shrimp, cayenne, and other spices.
Gumbo, on the other hand, has a lot of rules, and they’ll vary depending on who you ask. There are regional gumbo variations across Louisiana, and often people have strong opinions about what should and should not go in gumbo. Gumbo always starts with the holy trinity of green pepper, celery, and onion.
From there, you get to the thickener, which is where things get divisive. The word “gumbo” comes from the West African name for okra, though today the use of okra as a thickener is hotly contested. In some families it’s a must, while in others it’s forbidden. The Choctaws used filé, dried and ground sassafras leaves, and today those are still used as a thickener in some recipes instead of okra. But many people simply use a roux made with flour and fat, like butter. Next, you can add chicken or sausage, or make a seafood gumbo with crab, shrimp and other seafood. Finally, at the end, you add the rice.
Is Jambalaya Cajun or Creole?
Jambalaya is both Cajun and Creole, with variations for each. Creole jambalaya, from New Orleans, uses tomatoes, while Cajun jambalaya, from rural Louisiana, uses a dark roux or beef broth. Creole jambalaya often has chicken or seafood, while Cajun jambalaya sometimes uses smoked meats. But the rules on meat aren’t hard and fast.
What Meat Goes in Jambalaya?
Jambalaya is a forgiving rice dish, an open palate for all types of meat. The most common are chicken and sausage. But you can find shrimp, crab, crawfish, ham, and even venison in jambalaya around Louisiana.
What Meat Goes in Gumbo?
There are two main types of gumbo: meat or seafood. Andouille sausage and chicken are the most popular gumbo meats, while seafood gumbo typically includes shrimp, crab, and other local seafood like crawfish in the spring. But, gumbo has long been made with whatever meat is on hand. In The Picayunes’s Creole Cookbook, published in 1901, there are references to gumbo with veal, turkey, rabbit, beef, ham, and even squirrel.
Is Jambalaya Thick or Soupy?
Jambalaya is thick, not soupy. It’s a sticky rice dish with chunks of meat, like paella. It’s typically served on a plate, not a bowl, and eaten with a fork.
