National Gumbo Day

 

Saturday, October 12^th is National Gumbo Day! Gumbo is a tasty stew-like dish that originated in Louisiana. The name comes from an African word for okra, which is the key ingredient used for thickening. Similar to Louisiana itself, gumbo is an amalgamation of many cultures. Elements of the recipe can be linked to West African, Choctaw, and the French cuisine. As a result, there are many variations of gumbo and to this day chefs argue over the true recipe. The first historical reference to gumbo appears in an 1803 document, which describes the menu at a gubernatorial reception in New Orleans. We have many southern cookbooks with recipes for ways to try Gumbo, including John Besh’s “My New Orleans” which is filled with 200 recipes and stories or Alice Moffet’s “Cookin’ in New Orleans”.  Ah, New Orleans…a city filled with deliciousness.