Known for its strong culture and delicious cuisine, New Orleans is more than just a city. It is a pure and unique manifestation of the people that founded it. New Orleans has adapted such a rich culture because of the multiple “periods” it has gone through.
Long before European colonization, the land that would become New Orleans was home to the Chitimacha people, a Native American tribe who lived off the rich natural resources of the Mississippi River and surrounding areas. Their deep knowledge of the land and waterways laid the foundation for the region’s later development. In 1718, New Orleans was officially founded by the French Mississippi Company, and by 1731, it became part of the French colony of Louisiana. The city quickly grew in economic and cultural importance.
After the French and Indian war in the mid 18th century, Louisiana became a refuge for Acadians, now known as Cajuns, who had been forced out of Canada by the British. These settlers brought their unique French dialects, music, and culinary traditions, leaving a large impact on New Orleans culture. Around the same time, the Creole population, descendants of French colonists and enslaved Africans, also began to form. Though Cajun and Creole people have distinct historical and ethnic backgrounds, their cultures have often been intertwined as they are both integral parts of New Orleans’ culture.
Cuisine and Culture
Food is a central part of New Orleans culture, deeply woven into the city’s history and identity. Dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice, and beignets do more than satisfy hunger; they tell the stories of the people who created them. Gumbo, for example, blends French roux, African okra, and Native American filé powder, symbolizing the city’s cultural melting pot.
“New Orleans is like a Gumbo of cultures,” historian Susan Foster from Destination Kitchen Tours said. Even though New Orleans Food is a blend of Creole and Cajun style food, there are distinct differences between the two.
Cajun food is known for its staple seasoning, which consists of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. It is important to note, however, that while Cajun food is well seasoned, it is, contrary to popular belief, not very spicy. In fact, while the flavor profile is complex and unique, the spice level is quite mild, making it easy on the taste buds. Cajun food is also known for its ‘Holy Trinity’ of vegetables; onions, celery, and bell peppers are considered necessities and the base for many Cajun dishes.
As for Creole cuisine, its flavors reflect the culture of its people; Creole people come from Italian, French, Spanish, and African descent, and their food is considered to be a similar mix. Because of the Creole’s broad culture, their food tends to have an abundance of ingredients such as shrimp, crawfish, crab, oregano and tomatoes.
In New Orleans, most restaurants will have a Creole and Cajun style of each dish, making sure to satisfy all cultures and preferences. While in New Orleans, I tried a variety of classic New Orleans’ food such as boiled crawfish, jambalaya, and gumbo. The use of seasoning created a completely different eating experience.
Beignets are one of New Orleans’ most iconic and beloved treats, symbolizing the city’s French roots and love of indulgent, flavorful food. These square pieces of deep-fried dough, generously dusted with powdered sugar, are traditionally served hot and fresh, often alongside a cup of strong café au lait. Though they may seem culinarily simple, beignets carry deep cultural significance.
Introduced by French colonists in the 18th century, beignets were embraced and adapted over time, eventually becoming a staple of Creole cuisine. Their popularity soared thanks to places like Café du Monde, a famous open-air coffee stand in the French Quarter that has served beignets since 1862. For both locals and tourists, a visit to New Orleans isn’t complete without sitting down for a plate of beignets under Café du Monde’s green-and-white awnings and watching the dust from the sugar floating through the air.
While I was in New Orleans, I made it my personal mission to try as many beignets as possible. Here is my ranked list:
- Bon’s New Orleans Street Food: These beignets were the softest and most buttery out of all the ones I tried. The texture resembles a warm croissant and was the perfect welcome to New Orleans.
- Cafe Beignet: These beignets were fluffy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Though they had a very different texture from Bon’s, I enjoyed the color and flavor that the slight crispiness brought.
- Loretta’s: Inside the French Quarters, there is an outdoor market with street food, art, jewelry, and souvenirs. While walking through the sea of stands, you will find Loretta’s. This little pastry shop has a variety of beignet flavors (from praline to crawfish). But, for consistency purposes, I tried the plain beignet.
- Cafe Du Monde: While this is the hot spot in New Orleans to get beignets, the tourist attraction did not fully live up to its name. I found the more local places to have much better beignets than Cafe Du Monde, but it was a necessary stop on my beignet journey, nonetheless.
- Hot Bennys: This beignet shop was just a few feet away from my hotel. Though not as flavorful as some of the other beignets, these were a convenient breakfast option and still very tasty.
Another New Orleans classic is the muffaletta: an Italian sandwich made with round bread with sesame seeds and filled with meats, cheeses, and olive paste. In the 1880’s Sicilian immigrants fled to New Orleans to escape Italy’s corrupt government and economic inflation. Most of these immigrants would shop for Italian goods at Central Grocery, a market founded by Salvatore Lupo in 1906, in order to keep their culture alive through their food. The market was always crowded as shoppers nudged their way through the stores with piles of cold cuts, cheeses, bread, and olives in their hands. With regard to the inconvenience the stacking was causing, Lupo invented a sandwich that was filled with all of the produce people were usually shopping for. This was a convenient and delicious way to keep business booming and is still popular today.
As you can see, all of New Orleans’ classic dishes are from completely different cultures; from Africa to Europe, New Orleans’ food embodies it all.
Music
This magnificent city’s blend of cultures not only influenced the food but the music as well. New Orleans is infamously the birthplace of Jazz music, a style of music that blends African, Caribbean, European, and even Spiritual music in order to create the iconic Jazz sound we know today. New Orleans’ rich and open culture is what ultimately led to the popularity of Jazz. In Louisiana, the government enforced specific restrictive laws for slaves called “Le Code Noir,” and while these laws were still highly limiting, they actually led to the creation of Jazz. According to ‘Le Code Noir’ (or ‘The Black Codes’), slaves were allowed to roam free on Sundays. Naturally, Sundays became a time of freedom and celebration in which slaves would gather in Congo Square and begin to dance and sing. These weekly get-togethers were a time of joy and liberation for slaves, which created the fundamentals of the Jazz genre.
While I was in New Orleans, I saw many street performers; whether they were singing classics in their own unique style, or impersonating old Jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, the city swelled with rhythm and pride. Intrigued by the melodies that danced through the streets, I decided to visit the New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint. Located in the French Quarter, this museum encompasses all aspects of the city’s rich music scene. Through paintings, artifacts, interactive exhibits, and live music, this museum created an enhanced and entertaining experience while I learned the history of Jazz.
Art
As I wandered through New Orleans, my nose and mouth were excited by the cuisine, my ears were overjoyed by the rhythms, and my eyes were drawn into the street vendors selling quirky, creative, and original artwork. Each artist set up shop with their own display of pieces, fostering a welcoming environment.
I had the pleasure of speaking with a few artists who caught my eye. I was drawn to Bedonna Wakeman’s paintings on Jackson Avenue mainly because her Pop Art style was particularly eye-catching. When I asked her about her Pop Up paintings, Wakeman eagerly brought one of her originals into the sunlight so I could see the difference that the light made in their appearance. “When you’re seeing it in light it has a whole different flavor to it. It’s almost graffiti-ish!” Wakeman explained. Her art style is a mix of minimalist and impressionist. Her focus on composition and light adds an extra dimension to her pieces.
While walking through the French Market, a jewelry cart caught my eye. Oscar Donahue, also known as ‘Oscar of New Orleans’ to his customers, has been making handmade jewelry for 36 years. When I asked him about his inspiration, Oscar told me about his beliefs of reincarnation. In all of his past lives, Oscar claims that “all I wanted to do was create.” Art is not merely a passion for him, but a calling. His brightly colored earrings are made from a special resin that has a metallic foil. “The moment I saw someone using this material, it was a spiritual experience,” Donahue said. He arranges the colorful materials into collage-like shapes, fuses them in an oven, and cuts them into unique shapes. The beauty of Donahue’s designs is how distinct and original they are. Donahue expressed how proud he is of the impact his designs have had: “People all over the world come to visit me and tell me how much they love my work because once you wear an Oscar and feel the love, you’ll know how special they are.”
As a first time visitor of New Orleans, I was astounded by the rich and diverse culture. New Orleans is not just a place you visit; it is a place you feel. It is a lively representation of human creativity, struggle, and joy. Every bite of food, every note of jazz, every handmade piece of art reflects a legacy of resilience and community. New Orleans’ culture is inclusive and unique, making the experience of being there feel captivating and new.
New Orleans is not just a place you visit; it is a place you feel. It is a lively representation of human creativity, struggle, and joy. Every bite of food, every note of jazz, every handmade piece of art reflects a legacy of resilience and community.