A Brief History of Cajun Cuisine

Originally called the Acadians, the people that came to be known as the Cajuns were French immigrants living in Nova Scotia who moved to Louisiana so they could be free to speak French and practice their religions. The Cajuns brought with them to their new homes a love of food and a preference for specific dietary staples. Unfortunately many of these staples couldn't be grown in their new home, so their tastes changed. These people made incredible use of the land and the resources at hand, evolving their diet into a legume, fruit, and meat heavy smorgasbord of deliciousness. It was in the 1900s that seafood became a crucial part of the cuisine, as refrigeration made storing fresh seafood achievable for longer periods. Couple this with the Model T car coming into production and tourism beginning to affect regions all over the south, and people from outside Louisiana began taking an interest in the food that could be found there, particularly the seafood.

After WWII, the oil industry began offshore drilling near Louisiana, igniting the areas oil boom and a stronger appreciation for seafood. A richer economy meant bigger paychecks, bigger houses, and bigger seafood dinners. This wealth also helped the affluent patronize restaurants where etouffees, fricassees, and gravy-laden dishes were popular.

In the 1980, Paul Prudhomme, a Cajun chef raised by his sharecropper parents on a farm, single-handedly launched Cajun cuisines popularity into the stratosphere. Embarking on a culinary tour across the US, he introduced his Cajun dishes to thousands of people who would wait in line just for the chance at a taste of authentic Cajun food. Unfortunately, corporate America is not one to be left behind on a potential profit machine, and so just as quickly as Cajun food became a fancy new cuisine to be had, the American machine was producing replicas and imitations all across restaurants and corporations so people in California could have a Cajun dish whenever they felt like it. By the 90s, the imitations popularity had reached its peak and New Orleans, which had always been recognized by locals as a Creole city, had begun to incorporate Cajun cuisine into its core to encourage more tourism to the region. By melding the two cuisines together in this way, it has caused some of the "Creole and Cajun are interchangeable" misconceptions we continue to see today.

What is the Story Behind Our Cajun Maple Blend?

Our in-house chef loves sweet heat blends and is particularly fond of our maple sugar, so he wanted to develop something that would incorporate both that flavor combination and one of his favorite ingredients. Something unconventional came to mind, and after numerous tweaks and rounds of testing, this blend was perfected.

Cajun cuisine relies on seafood proteins heavily, so our chef wanted to develop a blend that would be true to the cuisine and taste wonderful on seafood. Lucky for us however, its great for a variety of other foods as well.

Whats in Our Cajun Maple Blend?

Our Cajun Maple is blended from maple sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, chipotle morita powder, black pepper, smoked hickory salt, organic red bell pepper, ground celery seed, cayenne, ground bay leaves, thyme, basil, and Mexican oregano.

What Does Cajun Maple Taste Like?

Cajun Maple is a savory blend with manageable spiciness, smoky, earthy, and herby notes, as well as a hint of sweetness from the maple sugar.

Where to Use Cajun Maple

You can use Cajun Maple pretty much anywhere you would use Cajun Seasoning. Try it on grilled meats, use it for blackening, and sprinkle some on your favorite vegetable-based dishes. It's excellent in sauces and tomato-based soups. Cajun Maple also suits jambalaya and gumbo quite nicely.

This is a seasoning that stands up quite nicely next to stronger flavors, like darker beans or thick stews. It tastes wonderful in rice dishes and its great as a seasoning for pork chops!

Replace the salt free Cajun Seasoning in this recipe with Cajun Maple and enjoy Cajun Maple Grilled Sweet Potatoes. Another recipe you can replace the Cajun Seasoning for Cajun Maple in is Crispy Cajun Chicken. Our in house chef perfected this blend for use in our Vegetarian Gumbo and Vegan Andouille Meatball recipe. 

Helpful Hints

This blend is very tasty but can quickly become overwhelming if you use a lot! Try to use a little bit at first and then add more as you are cooking to ensure you are getting a good amount of flavor.

Read More

Creole vs Cajun: Whats the Difference?
The Difference Between Smoking, Barbecuing, and Grilling