It works well as an alternative to adobo seasoning, cajun seasoning, or even creole seasoning. Creole seasoning tends to be a little sweeter and mild. The packaged seasonings follow suit, with creole seasoning having many of the same ingredients as cajun seasoning, but typically with a few additional thrown in, like sweet basil. When i was a kid, i coated all of my food in cajun seasoning. Cajun seasoning is a spice mixture commonly used as a blackening seasoning. Learn how to make the best homemade cajun seasoning in this easy spice mix recipe. Some of the ingredients which are frequently used in the creole seasoning includes.
It would also bring both the red color of tomatoes to the dish, along with their flavor and acidity. When it comes to seasoning blends, cajun and creole seasonings are difficult to beat. While you can buy cajun or creole louisiana seasoning blends in the grocery store, theyre often harsh and staletasting. Creole seasoning has a similar savory flavor profile, but with more of an emphasis on the herbs. Usage tips use 2 teaspoons of cajun seasoning on chicken, pork chops, or fish, to jazz up these dishes with new orleansstyle flavor. Creole, from the spanish criollo, meaning native to a place, evolved across nearly 300 years in new orleansa city founded in 1718 by the french, ruled soon after by. Cajun seasoning blends are often spicy, with an emphasis on the heat from cayenne pepper. A vastly oversimplified way to describe the two cuisines is to deem creole cuisine city food and cajun cuisine country food. The ingredients are a pantry staple nothing exotic here. While we work to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. Many creole and cajun recipes will call for a creole or cajun seasoning blend.
Ranch dressing and cajun seasonings were my goto with pretty much every meal. Both blends contain european spices, but were developed within cooking traditions. Ingredients may include cayenne pepper, salt, garlic, onion, oregano and salt. Creole seasoning does overlap slightly with cajun seasoning in terms of the spicy or heat aspects. Cajun and creole seasoning recipe american louisiana herb and. Many new orleansinspired recipes call for a cajun or creole seasoning blend. Tony chacheres salt free creole seasoning cajun grocer. This article will help you understand the differences and similarities in ingredients, style, and seasonings between both. The seasoning is heavily herb based, and includes thyme, basil, oregano, and bay leaves. Many of the ingredients the european chefs normally used in their cooking were unavailable locally. Cajun and creole are terms often used interchangeably to describe the flavorful dishes that louisiana is famous for.
Use it to flavor dry rubs, barbecue sauce or the breading for deepfried fish or chicken. What can be further confusing is, there are some spices which seem to be pretty close in terms of their blends, usage, and so on. Governor bienville, afraid of losing the new residents. Tony chacheres original creole seasoning is an extraordinary blend of flavorful spices prized by cooks everywhere. You can easily find a jar in your grocery stores spice aisle, but, if youre like us, you never have time to run out when the craving. Difference between creole and cajun seasoning with recipe. What is the difference between creole and cajun seasoning. Creole cooking is a complex conversation, but they do share very similar french roots.
Both creole and cajun cooking terms are used interchangeably. For a cajun pizza, you might choose similar toppings, but also add pepperoni and go with a cajunflavored crust. They say in order to really know someone, meet their family. Cajun, whats the difference between these two very similar spices. Cajun seasoning focuses primarily on a variety of ground peppers white, black and red. The herbs that typically show up include oregano, thyme, and sometimes marjoram. Both cajun and creole seasoning come from immigrants to louisiana. Choose toppings that are often incorporated in creole seasoning, such as onion and bell peppers. We dont really know whats in tonys, but whatever is in it, thats cajun seasoning. Creole seasoning commonly contains those as well but also features. Popular in louisiana cuisine, cajun or creole spices are known for their robust flavor. A vastly simplified way to describe the two cuisines is to deem creole cuisine as city food while cajun cuisine is often referred to as country food. Creole refers to the original europeanparticularly french and spanish settlers of new orleans. First, lets delve into the history of cajun and creole cooking.
All natural spices including paprika, red, black white peppers, oregano, salt, onion and garlic. This blend is great for seasoning rice, meats, soups and stews, or anything that benefits from a spicy creole flavour. Creole seasoning generally tends to have more oregano andor basil than cajun seasoning. In a large bowl, cut corn off cob and scrape cobs to get all the juice. Recipes for louisiana spice blends vary in name, but whether called cajun or creole, most contain a mix of paprika, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne. One difference is that creole seasoning has a fair amount out paprika in it where cajun does not. Therefore, cajun cuisine, though it shares similar dishes with creole cuisine, such as gumbo, has telltale characteristics that makes it easy to distinguish from creole cooking. Use this fresh blend of spices and herbs to add pep to the cajunspiced turkey and crawfish gravy, or to season blackened redfish or gumbo. Delicious as an allpurpose spice blend and, of course, perfect for seasoning your favorite creole dishes. Baharat is a special allpurpose seasoning blend that is widely used in middle eastern cooking. Whats so great about tony chacheres creole spice blend. Bring a hint of zesty new orleans flavor to your entrees with regal cajun spice and skillet seasoning. Commerical varieties of this blend of herbs and spices are available, but they are often. We will compare these two blends in this edition of spiceography showdown.
You owe it to yourself to experience how much it actually enhances the flavor of meats, seafood, poultry, vegetables, eggs, soups, stews, and salads even barbecue and french fries. Creole seasoning primarily relies on herbs like oregano, bay leaf, basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley and paprika. They were mostly from wealthy families and brought or sent for chefs from madrid, paris, and other european capitals. The best louisiana cajun or creole seasoning cooks illustrated. Im just puzzled by the utter devotion that tony chacheres original creole spice blend commands. Slap ya mama all natural cajun seasoning from louisiana, spice variety pack, 8 ounce cans, 1 original cajun and 1 hot cajun blend. Stuff couscous and beef into sweet bell peppers for a nutritious meal. While the spice mixtures can differ slightly, theyre fairly similar and according to louisiana travel, the main difference is in the preparation of the dish as opposed to the actual spice mixture cajun doesnt contain tomatoes whereas creole does.
The only seasoning mix my family ever uses is copious amounts of tony chacheres. I make up this creole seasoning to have on hand when a recipe calls for creole or cajun seasoning. The late famous chef paul prudhomme put this seasoning and cooking method on the map. The quantities seemed pretty large so i made a 14 to recipe using three very good sundried tomato. All of the components are relatively easy to find, which means that making your own blend is relatively simple when compared to whipping up other seasoning blends with more exotic ingredients.
This cajun spice and skillet seasoning will add a little heat to your menu and can be used as a coating on meats to. First, the rouxremember that the cajun version uses oil instead of butter, and the further south you get, the darker the roux. Creole foods are a combination of many different cultures, from french to irish to west african. This blend creates a robust, smoky flavor that is slightly spicy and very savory. Mccormick gourmet cajun seasoning mccormick gourmet. While many who are unfamiliar with louisianas food culture do use the terms creole and cajun interchangeably, there are differences between the cooking styles and seasoning preferences of the two blends, creole seasoning is known as the milder and more refined option. Achieving such deliciousness is partly due to a combination of spices, which you can easily replicate with this cajun seasoning. While many of the ingredients in cajun and creole dishes are similar, the real difference between the two styles is the people behind these famous cuisines. Create a partystopping lasagna by baking it in a bundt pan. Although it relies heavily on the leafy based herbs which are taken from european cultures, the paprika and pepper blends are a nuance which is frequently found in the cajun based spices. Paprika is typically used for the fiery or spicy undertone in the spices. Recipes seemed to call for the cajun spice mix and creole spice mix like they were the same thing.
It features a savory combination of paprika, onion, garlic, pepper, spices and salt. Homemade creole seasoning recipe chili pepper madness. This seasoning is used for emerils yellowfin tuna with grilled pineapple salsa, simple turkey meatloaf, chicken cordon bleu, southernstyle panfried catfish, corn cakes with christmas caviar, and creolespiced fried chicken. My reverseengineered recipe for tony chacheres original creole seasoning.
For a recent article on cajun spice blends for chile pepper magazine, so many people responded to me with a diehard love for chacheres there were accolades to tony chacheres that werent seen for other cajun blends. Tips and seasoning ingredients from the native indians, and the caribbean and african cooks helped give birth to creole cooking. In a small bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, basil, thyme, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and salt. Recipes for louisiana spice blends vary in name, but whether called cajun or creole, most contain a mix of paprika, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne ingredients typically found in the regions gumbos, seafood boils, and meat rubs. The same or similar blend sometimes can be called cajun seasoning, and at least one brand of creole seasoning is made by a company with cajun in the name. Emerils essence creole seasoning recipe food network. You can get toppings that are common ingredients in creole foods, like tomato and sausage. Whats the difference between cajun and creole seasoning. Zatarains big and zesty all purpose creole seasoning, 5. This spicy mixture can be used on fish, chicken, pork.
What, if any, are the differences between cajun and creole. Creole seasoning this spicy seasoning adds warmthin more ways than one. Quiz any aficionados of louisianaarea cuisine, and they can describe the differences between creole and cajun food down to the dish. Creole cuisine is influenced by people born to settlers in french colonial louisiana, specifically in new orleans. Authentic louisiana creole is about the complex mix of pungent herbs and spices. The best louisiana cajun or creole seasoning cooks. The flavor of the seasoning blend is spicy and piquant with a little bit of smokiness to compare, i think it tastes kind of similar to creole seasoning. The versatile mix is as good on popcorn as it is on chicken. Back in 2011, in his new york times magazine column, cooking with dexter, pete wells asked his son about his favorite foods it was a tie, wells recounted dexter saying. Cajuncreole seasoning, half the cayenne for the fam.