Well sit down, friend, and listen. You’re about to explore the decadent depths of our culture. A culture that blends the salt of the earth with the heart and soul of good company. Gumbo, Deaux Deaux and Geaux Geaux.
During the mid 1760’s, the Acadians were evicted from their native land of Acadia (what is now known as Nova Scotia) as a result of the war going on between England and France over the colony of New France which is now Canada.
They were given the choice of staying on their land while swearing allegiance to the British Crown and forsaking their Roman Catholic faith. The answer was an obvious ‘NO’. End of that story. The beginning of a journey.
These Acadians were scattered along the Eastern seaboard. Families were separated and put on ships with different destinations. Many of them settled in South Louisiana which at the time was under Spanish rule. There they shared the swamps and praries with the Attakapa and Chittamacha Native American Indian tribes.
Today that land is known as Acadiana.
The word Cajun is an aphetic variant of Acadian. It is my understanding that the Attakapas coined the word ‘Cajun’ since they couldn’t pronounce the word Acadian.
Makes sense to me, anyway.
I can’t imagine what they went through. I don’t want to. But they survived and adapted to our subtropical climate. Today, Cajuns make up a significant portion of South Louisiana’s population, and have exerted an enormous impact on the state’s culture.
I am proud of my heritage, proud to be a Cajun and I’m blessed with a wonderful family and friends. While good cooking is the backbone of our culture, it’s the love of one another that binds us. We’ll find a way to have a good time chomping on a Bologna sandwich.
I hope you enjoy our show. While I can’t teach you how to be a Cajun (it’s an inherent thing) I certainly hope to teach you how to cook like one.

