Did you know? France provided the money, troops, armament, military leadership, and naval support that tipped the balance of military power in favor of the United States and paved the way for the Continental Army's ultimate victory, which was sealed at Yorktown, VA, five years after Franklin embarked on his mission. France helped us win the revolutionary war.
That was pivotal, thanks to the longstanding animosity the French had toward the British and the cycle of revenge. Ben Franklin did all that schmoozing with the French royalty and won their favor; quite a feat of diplomacy !
@@billkant849 Rocking the fur hat and peasant clothes among the powdered and wigged guys was really a statement about the character of America; love how he operated !
The trinity is literally just an adaptation of the Mirepoix cuz carrots don’t grow that well in Louisiana so we substituted it for bell pepper which grows fantastically in our soil.
As a Texan I am supremely happy to see our flag in the background, much love from Texas my firend. The Cajun culture of our brothers in Louisiana is amazing to learn about, I always recommend listening to the music and their food.
Actually, this video wasn't a mess, we just went with you while you were researching things that many of us didn't know either. It's always fun with you. Thank you.
"Cajun" is a derivative of "Acadian". The Acadians were French settlers that settled on the east coast of Canada. When the British took control of Canada in 1763, many of these settlers relocated to the French colony in Louisiana. There is still a large Acadian population in the eastern provinces of Canada and the French dialect spoken is called Chiac which is a mixture of French, English and the Aboriginal languages of the Mi'kmaq people who live in eastern Canada...
From what I understand the Cajun people were deported by the British in 1755 because they refused to give their loyalty to the British. They made their way down to Louisiana and I think Quebec and Louisiana still have a very close relationship because of their history
Both sides of my family were French Canadian. My mother's family remained in Quebec and resisted English rule by having very large families and refusing to speak English. One of my mother's aunts had 21 children and another had 19 for example. My father's side were Arcadian but settled in New England after having their land taken and being banished.
The boudin you ate as a child is probably different from Cajun boudin. I'm guessing you had definition #1. • Boudin- 1 : blood sausage. 2 : a spicy Cajun sausage containing rice and meat (such as pork) or seafood. And alligator is delicious!
The United States is a mix of all the cultures that formed it. Regional differences often reflect the national origin of the people who settled there. There is much to learn about our relatively brief time as a nation.
Great video! I’m loving the channel! Language, food, and music are big parts of what makes up a culture, so it makes sense that all the comments mention one of those three things. But I thought I’d mention a few other aspects of Cajun culture. The folklore is pretty interesting. There’s loup garous and rougarous, feu follets, and Cauchmar. We also have a few unique holiday traditions. Mardi Gras may not be unique to Louisiana but the Courir de Mardi Gras is. We have Christmas Eve bonfires to help guide Papa Noel through the bayous, and Petit Bonhomme Janvier visits us on New Years and leaves us treats. Just to name a few things off the top of my head.
I am a Cajun but my parents would not let us speak French because the way they had been treated but I did learn to cook Cajun food my best being GUMBO served on dirty rice
You really should travel to Lafayette, Louisiana at the end of April. They hold Festival International. It’s a free festival spanning over all of Downtown Lafayette. Bands from all over the world. A lot of French Culture
Great video and thanks for sharing. My little sister married a Cajun, he is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and Sniper. When you visit Southern Louisiana and the Cajun area you will find that the people are so friendly its amazing. You will also discover the joy of Boudin. Boudin is Jambalaya in a sausage casing. It is found at every single gas station, minimart, grocery store and butcher. It is always a private recipe so you will find tons of different Boudin. I personally enjoy the Boudin of the Savoie family and they sell it online as well as locally across the state. Boudin is pork shoulder mixed with rice and organ meat and various seasonings. When I visit my family in the New Orleans area we kayak in the bayou. Visit the museums and enjoy the amazing food and culture of the area. Lots of fishing and hunting as well. To most cajuns, fishing and hunting is considered grocery shopping and is done for food not just sport. When you get a chance to visit America I would suggest you make time to not just visit the New Orleans area but the greater Cajun area as well. Well worth it. Check out the tourist area but also everything else around it. :) While America is vast and the tourist big cities are flashy, the small areas around the Country are truly the hidden gems and well worth it. Chris
The "accent" the old man had and the French that the cajuns speak, I'm told, is French as it was spoken 300 to 400 years ago. Cajuns are very traditional.
@Gage Nathan No you didn't.. You're a scammer that runs both accounts in the replies in this comment thread. I've encountered you/this scam on several occasions, in which you make that same exact comment. Then a minute or so later, you come in with a secondary account and reply to that comment, falsely claiming that "you just tried it and it works." If anybody reads their comment here, or in any other comment section on UA-cam, ignore them. Or you could call them out so others know it's a scam, and report them.
Cajuns didn't go directly to Louisiana. They first settled in Canada, later migrating to Louisiana. Along the way, they they picked up new aspects and added them to their culture.
@@RemyJackson not all of them, no. France sent many “ladies of the night” 👀 directly to New Orleans actually. The Canadians that were expelled went to Acadiana mostly, not New Orleans.
@@PatricenotPatrick True, I was generalizing, but not every Cajun shares the same history. My intention was to illustrate why most Cajuns and Acadians do not act like they just got off a plane from Paris. For most, France was generations ago with a few stops along the way
Cajun cuisine is best described as "peasant cuisine"--not fancy like French Haute Cuisine, or even Louisiana "Creole" cooking,, but still complex , and the inheritor of several influences, including French, Spanish, Cato Indian, African, and even Alcase Lorraine, Variations in Cajun cooking depend on the region, with more seafood in the Louisiana islands, and more wild game inland. Much of the emphasis is "all in one pot" cooking, as many Cajun households only had a couple of cast iron pots, one for the main dish, and one for the rice. While often spicy, most Cajun dishes are not super hot, though you can always add more hot sauce if you desire.
Bien merci! I'm from a Parish just west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I am mixed heritage. My father's family, Sanchez, originated in Spanish, where they were Spanish nobility, coat of arms and all. My ancestors both arrived with Los Conquistadores and as immigrants from the Canary Islands, Los Islanos. My father grew up in a large family, in which English, Spanish, and French were commonly heard, French being dominant. My mother's family, Adams, was much smaller and seems to have originated in France and England, with a smattering of German as well. Cajuns were considered stupid, primarily because they did not speak English well, were dirt poor, lived in the woods, on coastal plains, and along bayous. They were fishermen, farmers, and common laborers. Education was rare. My father completed the fifth grade, my mother the third. My mother attended a tiny shack schoolhouse, one of six students. She spoke ONLY French! Students were forced to learn English, were BEATEN when they were overheard speaking French. BTW in south Louisiana, RICHARD, which is decidedly British, is pronounced "REE...SHARD". A French twist is added to almost everything. On making Jambalaya, Zatarains is incredibly good, coming out of a box. You should get the red beans and rice. BOTH ARE AWESOME!!! Zatarains may even send samples for FREE, so you.can promote them on your channel. You.should call or write to them. Bonsoir
Vous devez visiter le New Orleans School of Cooking quand vous visitez Louisiana. Ils enseignent pas seulement les techniques culinaires, mais aussi beaucoup sur l'histoire des Cajuns, Créoles, etc. Et aussi, on peut converser avec les autres étudiants à la table.
I’m a native Texan and Cajun by heritage- love the flag and the video! Ive been learning French myself for a couple months to connect with my ancestors. Thank you!
In Louisiana...turtle, deer, duck, quail, alligator, all types of fish and seafood, pork, beef, if it can't outrun us...it can go on the table..😉....A good cookbook..."Talk about good" lots of good, basic, recipes..and the University of South Louisiana.."The Raging Cajuns"...and of course the LSU Tigers...all part of the culture!
The Cajuns were originally from Acadia (modern day Nova Scotia in Canada). After the British took over Canada, they forced the country to submit to British rule, but the Acadians resisted. So the British drove them out of Canada and they left to different countries. A large community of them went to Louisiana where "Acadian" changed over time into "Cajun".
I don't think the French were "driven" from French Acadia. They refused to accept Anglican rule when the English sent in their army to consolidate their influence in French Acadia in the year 1701. They then migrated to southern Louisiana and renamed their capital "New Orleans" after Orleans, France. They still have a very closed society, and French is still widely spoken there, although there is some Spanish influence on the language. Highlights, of course, are their cuisine (jambalaya, gumbo, numerous others), and their music (New Orleans jazz in particular).
This is incorrect. 1) many of the Acadians were expelled (driven out ) in Le Grand Dérangement in 1755. 2) The Acadians (Cajuns) did not rename Louisiana's capital "New Orleans". Louisiana was founded by the French and eventually sold to Spain. The Spanish offered land grants to the Acadians (later to be called Cajuns), and the city was already called New Orleans at that time. 3) New Orleans jazz is not the music of the Cajuns. New Orleans jazz originated in Congo Square (located right across Rampart Street behind the French Quarter, now called Louis Armstrong park). The sound of jazz is a mixture of African Rhythms and European brass instruments. Cajun music has a different sound, and can be heard mostly in the prairie areas around Eunice, Mamou, et tout l'autour au tour du moyeu.
@@TheWanderingCajun This is not totally incorrect. Many Acadians did leave voluntarily early after the English army arrived in 1701, given the total disconnect and historic animosity between the two cultures. Some left for New Orleans and others headed back to France. In later years there was a forced exile by the English of the Cajuns that remained. Your point about the origins of New Orleans is well taken. To say that jazz was not influenced at all by the Cajuns would be a bit off base, as by your own admission that jazz was a mixture of African rhythms and European brass instruments (brought to New Orleans by the French, presumably). Agreeably, jazz is not the traditional music of the Cajuns.
I must say I love you for being true to who you are as a French girl while having the Texas flag in the background. I'm from Florida and I still love it! Wow you just raised the bar with this lad here.
Zydeco has a distinct sound. Once you hear it you'll always recognize it. Only alligators in Louisiana. American crocodiles are found in Florida. Very rarely some will make in to Louisiana.
Loved him. I was actually thinking about him yesterday. I remember the way he would say 'I guarantee' ...'I gha-rawn-tee' and 'onion'..... 'own yawn'. Check him out. I can barely understand him.
“ a little wine for the broth , a little wine for the cook “ Justin cooked before a live audience. He amazed his audience on day , he stated to add a teaspoon full of salt. But he used his fingers to measure it which got a laugh from his audience. So using his finger a second time but this time he put the salt into a teaspoon. The teaspoon was perfectly level. No more laughter from his audience . Amazing man to say the least
Thank you very much for your interest in Louisiana and the Cajun culture. I was born in New Orleans and raised in Saint Martinville, LA where my grandmother spoke only Cajun French. I learned French before English. After World War II we moved back to New Orleans where my father's family was Irish and spoke only English. It was a very difficult transition for me and I regret not continuing French but in the 1940s and 50s French was frowned on in Louisiana. Many years later, the state created the CODOFIL (Council for Development of French in Louisiana). Thank you again for your videos. I have subscribed to your channel.
Ouais, nous-autres les Franco-Louisianais (Créoles, Cadjins/Cadiens, Houmas, etc.), on est toujours ici en parlant français. 😊 Mais mon ami Jourdan (le jeune homme dans la première vidéo que t’as partagé), il avait raison quand il a dit qu’il y a pas assez de jeunes qui veulent apprendre notre langue. Moi, j’ai pas été élevé en français mais j’ai toujours été entouré de la langue. J’ai grandi dans un p’tit village bilingue où toute la génération de mes grands-parents parlait français comme langue maternelle. En fait, mes grands-parents faisaient partie de la dernière génération d’avoir été née monolingue francophone dans ma communauté. Mon père, lui, il est né bilingue en parlant anglais avec ses parents francophones et français avec ses grands-parents qui sont morts sans avoir appris l’anglais. Comme j’ai dit, j’parlais pas français depuis la naissance mais j’étais un enfant curieux et j’ai demandé à mes grands-parents de m’enseigner le français quand j’étais jeune. Asteur (Maintenant), j’parle pas parfaitement mais j’ai un garçon et j’essaye d’mon mieux de parler avec lui en français parce que j’veux lui donner l’opportunité de connaître la langue de son héritage, de sa patrie. Si tu veux entendre un bon exemple du français louisianais qu’est très compréhensible, regarde cette vidéo: ua-cam.com/video/2QxdhQQ9bto/v-deo.html C’est un p’tit clip d’une vidéo plus longue que tu peux trouver dans la description de ma vidéo. J’fais aussi des vidéos en français louisianais (ce qu’on appelle souvent le français cadjin/cadien) et aussi en créole louisianais (a.k.a. kouri-vini). C’est des fois difficile à dire la différence mais j’écris dans les descriptions ou dans les titres de mes vidéos la langue que j’parle en-dedans.
The difficulty in translating what you hear, taking a thought of your own and translating it into the language of the person who you are taking to, that takes a a lot of processing power of your brain, and even with your difficulties you still nailed it. I have an impossible time with French as I'm trying to teach myself the language, and I can sympathize with you on the language barrier.
The comment you found calling "bell peppers, celery, and onion the holy trinity" of Cajun cooking, is a metaphor to convey that these are very important to cajun cooking and really essential. By the way for your map, you can put a mark for me in Lincoln Park, MI USA. Actually since Lincoln Park is a suburb on Detroit, just mark Detroit. In addition to Louisiana, I hope you come to Michigan and, of course to Detroit. Detroit was founded by the French in 1701 (We celebrated 300 years in 2001!). Detroit (La ville de troit) was founded by a man by the name of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. So many streets and other places including the Detroit River and the Great Lakes were named by the French. One street in Detroit is St. Jean Street. Everybody here pronounces like the woman's name (JEEN, like the denim trousers folks wear) when, of course in french is pronounced "Saint Zhan," or translated St. John. Also I always like to tell my students how Lake Superior got its name by way of explaining why the two most important veins in the human body are called the Superior and Inferior Vena Cava. Many people think Lake Superior is named that because it is so big and deep-- one of the biggest lakes in the world, if not THE biggest. But, I put a book on a table and say in French I could say, "Le livre superior la table," meaning "the book is on top of the table." or throw it on th floor and say, "Le livre inferior la table" meaning the book is underneath the table. So,, then students may figure out that the French called our biggest lake, "La Lac Superieur" becuaes it is the top lake of the Great Lakes. I will send ;you some sourvenirs from Detroit when you have a new Post Office Box to share. Love your show, incuding today's. For Cajun music, I would recommend the band Beau Soliel (a very good CD of their is 'Encore Encore!!"), also Mardis Gras in New Orleand on Rounder Records and Buckwheat Zydeco's Choo Choo Boogaloo CD. Canada, right across the border from here (closed right now due to COVID) is bilingual English and French, especially in the province of Quebec, but everthing is in both languages. I used to portray a French Voyageur when I worked for the National Park Service several years ago. I still have the costume, but alas it no longer fits Some French songs they sang included "En rouallnt ma boule" and "Alouette." A CD that includes some of that music is "Music at Mackinac." I'll try to find some videos of these too and send the links. (I've mentioned before that if you interrupt the videos with comments that seems to be ow other reactors prevent their videos from being taken down. -- Jim Bull
The Cajuns are like the quebecoise in that they are French in culture but it's not modern French but a very old colonial culture. Most of the modern Cajuns speak a patois of French and English but most are fluent in both.loving friendship from Tennessee
My grandfather fought in France in the Second World War. My grandparents told us they would be beaten in school if they spoke French in school. Then came WW2 and USA needed these French speakers as translators in the war.
My family is from and still lives in Acadiana. Broussard and Saint martinville. My great great grandfather founded Parks. So I still feel a strong connection to the area and culture. My family moved to Texas when I was 9, but Last year I went back for my grandfather’s funeral and was struck by things I didn’t realize as a boy. The road names and French influence were things I associated with sounding unintelligent but now I want to learn the French my grandparents spoke and I wish I had been exposed to more. But, as many have mentioned, they didn’t promote it because of the stigma. I’m intrigued by French culture, food, wine, cycling, such extensive history of people in that region of Europe. Then I hope to explore the country with no limits from my linguistic ability.
Another great presentation Marie. Thank you for highlighting my comment about Cajun and Zydeco music. The Cajuns are not alone in having their language suppressed, the same has happened to the Catalans and Basques in Spain and the indigenous peoples of North America and Australia. Enjoy your journey of discovery into all aspects of Cajun culture, we will follow you all the way.
In the mid 1980s I fixed sinkholes in Florida for a company. I worked with a guy that was French Canadian and he said their French language was different from France. Have you ever learned anything about French Canadian people? I have never been that far into Canada myself. I just worked with this one guy. HIs name is Luc.
Ok Cajun and creole culture are quite distinct these days Creole culture is in more of the cities especially NOLA while Cajun is in the more rural towns that the exiled Acadians from Nova Scotia. EmmyMadeInJapan did a great breakdown about the culinary differences
Yes culture is not only language, but it encompasses :cuisine,music,dance ;expressions used in some cultures way of dress, crafts ,story telling,agriculture,way of raising and hunting and fishing food, etc .
There are two main types of gumbo, one made with okra, and one with powdered sassafras leaves (called filé powder). Both are thickeners. Okra gumbo is usually made with seafood, while filé gumbo is usually made with meats like chicken and sausage. Roux is another important element in gumbo. It's flour cooked in some sort of fat, usually oil. Roux is a thickener, and it also adds flavor. As you cook the flour, its color gets darker, and it develops more flavor. Also, the more you cook it, the less it acts as a thickener. The roux used in gumbo is usually cooked until it's very dark, like the color of coffee. It takes skill to make a good dark roux, because the flour can burn very easily. The word "gumbo" is similar to a Bantu word for okra, so the word was probably brought to America by African slaves. Gumbo is very rich. A lot of traditional Cajun food is rich. Jambalaya is similar to Spanish paella. Of course, the seasoning is different, but the basic idea is rice cooked with meats and seafood. Jambalaya tends to be wetter than paella-it doesn't have the socarrat (or crust) that you get in a good paella. There are both Cajun and Creole versions of jambalaya. The main difference is Creole jambalaya is made with tomatoes, while Cajun jambalaya has no tomatoes. It's interesting to me that you know about andouille sausage. When I was young, this type of sausage was known only in Louisiana. Now it's in France. Banning a native language is a common form of oppression. The purpose is to destroy a people's cultural identity, to force them to assimilate with the majority culture. The Hawaiian language was banned in Hawaiian schools, Ryukyuan (the native language of Okinawa) was banned by Japan, many native languages (like Ukrainian and Georgian) were either banned or suppressed by the Soviet Union, languages like Welch, Scots, and Irish were banned by England, Spain under Franco banned Catalan, Basque, and Galician, and Native American (i.e. Indian) languages were banned in Indian reservations. These languages survived because they only banned them in places like schools, courts, and government offices. It's much harder to keep people from speaking their native languages in their homes, with friends, in markets, etc. Cajun boudin is different from French boudin. Cajun boudin is made with ground cooked pork and rice that are mixed with onions and seasonings and stuffed into a casing. Then it's cooked a second time. It's not a blood sausage (like French boudin noir), and it doesn't contain milk (like French boudin blanc). The texture of Cajun boudin is also different from the texture of French boudin. Most people I know who have tried Cajun boudin have liked it. The one thing to watch out for is boudin rouge, which has a lot of cayenne in it and can be quite spicy. Unless you like really spicy food, stick with Cajun boudin blanc. One of your commenters mentioned blackened food, like blackened catfish. This is not traditional Cajun food. It was invented by a New Orleans chef named Paul Prudhomme in the 1980s. It's delicious, and you could probably find restaurants in Cajun country that serve it, but it's a modern invention that came from an area outside of Cajun country. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your adventure in learning about Cajun culture. Thanks!
I am learning to speak French (again) at age 64 after many years of atrophy. When I was in primary school French language was widely available in US schools as Jackie Kennedy, our First Lady spoke very good French. I have very good comprehension today at a B2 level even after many years of not using the language. I also spent time as a young teenager in Quebec when English was not widely spoken so my French at that time 1971 was very useful. I love the Quebecois people, they are so warm and passionate. I also travel to Louisiana quite often, but have not visited Lafayette or Baton Rouge where there are more cajun French speakers. This is something I must do.
Thank you for this video on Louisiana Cajun. If you’d like to learn more about the Cajun French being banned, it goes back from the “Deportation des Acadiens” in 1755. Cajuns are considered our cousins, here in Eastern Canada.
@Natasha Syma it would not surprise me at all that you have relatives here in Canada! You are most welcome to visit us in the Atlantic Coast if you ever decide to come to Canada. 😃. I would love to connect with a Richard family member from far away!
French traders and fur trappers used to marry into Native American tribes to gain access to local trading markets. A number of tribes were matrilineal, meaning bloodlines carry on from the mother, not the father - making the French trader's children "full-blood" tribe members. So, there are a few French citizens who have Native American cousins. Sacagewea, the Shoshone guide on the Louis & Clark Expedition, brought her French husband and their son with her on the expedition. That's something else you could learn about after Cajun culture.
Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know of a method to log back into an instagram account?? I somehow lost the account password. I would love any help you can offer me!
@Grayson Beckett thanks so much for your reply. I found the site on google and im trying it out atm. Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
Great job! Enjoyed this very much. My cajun great grandmother only spoke French, my grandmother spoke both French and English but unfortunately my mother only knows a few words so it never got passed down. My mother remembers visiting her grandmother in Plaucheville, Louisiana and going to church where the preist only did his service in French. If you visit Louisiana go to New Orleans first and the French Quarter or Vieux Carre’, then to Cajun country. I’m surprised this history wasn’t taught in French schools since Louisiana was a colony of France. Cajuns are fun loving people and have a live and let live attitude. We are very proud of our French and Cajun heritage.
It's so cool that you are researching Cajun culture. It is but a small part of French culture worldwide. I enjoy it very much. And j'aime beaucoup les fruits de mer. Merci.
When you visit North America please consider visiting French Canada, especially the Acadian regions in the Maritime Provinces. The people who became the Louisiana Cajuns originally settled in Canada. It's all connected.
one of the thickeners and seasonings is filet which is powdered sassafras leaves. The language is probably unrecognizable but it is old Acadian French.
I really enjoy your enthusiasm for learning about another culture, the world needs more of it. Check out the movie "The Big Easy" with Dennis Quaid & Ellen Barkin-its New Orleans thru a Hollywood lens but does a pretty good job capturing the feel of southern Louisiana (has a great soundtrack too). Also, I highly recommend the Dave Robicheaux books by James Lee Burke, they're set in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. Burke is an exceptional writer and the stories have a deep sense of place. There are french translations, I saw them on Amazon.
My only experience of French food is from waiting in a couple French restaurants in Philadelphia. I thought sweetbreads were delicious i remember with many wonderful recipes. Some of the meats eaten and the sauces including fruits go against my palate. But I'm amazed by you! The things that you don't like are EXACTLY what most Americans don't like.
Thickeners: roux and file gumbo. "File gumbo" is the powdered dried leaves of the Sassafras plant. A "roux" is made by cooking equal amounts of flour and fat (butter) until the mixture is a dark brown. It must be stirred constantly. When added to liquid just a small amount will thicken the mixture.
The thickener in Gumbo is a roux based on french cooking. Alligator is a common food in the South and so is rattle snake, rabbit and other local meat. Justin E. Wilson was a famous Cajun chef and humorist from Louisiana. He died in 2001 but you can still watch clips of his cooking program on UA-cam. The show also included music and historical references to Cajun culture in Louisiana.
A great Cajun song that may not get blocked is on a UA-cam video titled "WHFS Damian's Theme Song". The song is called "Two Step de Platin" by Ambrose Thibodeaux. If you are confused by the video title, WHFS was a radio station I listened to when I was younger that had disk jockeys that would start and end their shows with theme songs (like TV programs do). Also, horse racing is a big part of the Cajun culture.
Louisiana was named after Louis XIV (le Roi Soleil). It is interesting to think that he was also our King. Cajuns are a warm, wonderful people with a zest for life, displayed in their passion for family, food and music. The photo is of my granddaughter at an LSU football game in Baton Rouge. I enjoy your videos and I hope you make it to Louisiana someday.
Funny my uncle is Cajun. Grew up in Louisiana on a bayou took an airboat to school. He didn't learn English really until he went into the Marine Corp when he was 18 he spoke creole growing up basically a mix of English French African Native ect. This was in the early 60's
If you get the opportunity to travel to Louisiana try to experience several distinct cultures in the south of the state. Creole and Cajun are different and still similar. If you experience Mardi Gras you should also try the Cajun Mardi Gras in Southwest Louisiana. A very different celebration. I collect masks from around the world and was lucky to find one original Cajun mask for my collection that I am very fond of. I lived in Louisiana for many years and always enjoyed the foods, music, and cultures. I also have spent a lot of time in France and in Nantes!
If you wish to browse some of my photos and masks go to sites.google.com/view/vincentspione Click on "More" and go to the mask collection. You will see the Cajun mask with a short description.
Marie, I live in Louisiana but in the northwestern part of the state, 15 minutes from the Texas border. It’s amazing to travel to the southeastern portion of the state around New Orleans. It’s a different world and the food is wonderful. I met a number of great people in college of Cajun heritage and they are a fun group of people. Some of the culture has drifted northward into our area , particularly the food and the Mardi Gras season features amazing parades.
I've been going to Louisiana since I was a small child for vacations. I absolutely love Cajun and Creole food, its my favorite. I introduced my daughters to that hot and spicy food and now they love it as adults. You simply cannot find anywhere else in America like New Orleans, it's unique in all the world. The people are friendly, for the most part, and the food plentiful. Funny story, I was traveling for vacation with family In New Orleans and I was somewhere near Baton Rouge and we had to find a place to eat. We found this restaurant out in the middle of now where to eat, it was pretty much to ourselves. We had a great meal overlooking the river and an alligator on the bank. I was showing both my daughters who were very little at the time when the chef came out and wanted to show us the alligator in action by tossing it a chicken. Well as we all stood and watched the chef climbed down the river bank and tossed the alligator a chicken and he promptly swallowed it whole, but then as the chef climbed the river bank he slipped and that alligator lunged at him and came within a few feet for sure. I thought we were about to all witness that chef get his self eaten by that gator. He came back inside to greet us with his thick Cajun accent, he was all red faced and you could tell that gator caught him by surprise just as it did us. We all laughed about it, the waitress, the chef, my daughters, but it could have been serious.
Very interesting to listen to the old man. His accent is very close to Quebec French, even some words are typically Quebec French. Zachary Richard spent a great deal of his french career in Quebec as well. Almost as well known as Céline Dion. He won several awards here!!!
It was so interesting to hear your impressions on the Cajun culture and the language. There are other people that speak the language even more fluently than this gentleman. There are many French immersion schools in Louisiana and the speaking the language is encouraged. I hope that sometime you will visit because it is really an enchanting place and the people are very nice.
Canadian French on my dad's side. I love the Zydeco music. Two performers I can highly recommend. First is a group and also the leader of the group on his own. Beausoliel and Michael Doucet. Much great music over the years. Pick anything and you will probably like it. The other is a lesser known artist, but I just love her music and attitude while performing: Rosie Ledet. She's just so full of life and energy.
Also, the reason a lot of our food has shrimp is bc that the most accessible thing the Cajuns had to eat, a lot of them settled in or near bayous so the easiest method of protein was seafood. Unfortunately I don’t like seafood and it made my Cajun mother cry when I was a child
I love cajun food and cajuns which I personally call french hill billies lol. I lived in Mobile(160 miles east of New Orleans btw) Alabama for a few years and plenty of cajuns and cajun food in that area. I worked at a refinery in Detroit and a company that was contracted by the refinery that I worked for was owned by cajuns from Metairie(suburb of New Orleans) Louisiana and they cooked us workers home made food for dinner and it was some of the best food I've ever tasted.
Mardi Gras is a popular time to visit New Orleans. It is a bit wild but it is tame compared with Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The French quarter is popular in New Orleans as well. The culture there is French, Spanish, and black. They also have their own brand of Jazz.
I make sausage jambalaya at least twice a month. I have one pot in the cabinet I only use for it. We call it my jambalaya pot..lol. It's really just a non-teflon 3 quart dutch oven but after so many years we can't get the black or seasoning completely out of the pan from burning the onions.
A couple famous Cajuns are: My wife's great uncle.. Marine General John Lejeune, of which Camp Lejeune is named after. Claire Chenault leader of the Flying Tigers.
Haha! Okay, so I find myself with time on my hands, so I study some French......then, being a Chaucer fan I looked up Middle English terms. In modern English, "Thank you" is how we show gratitude, as you know. In Middle English, it's "Grant Merci", which is a form of old French "gramerci", all meaning the same thing. I found that fascinating, and thought I'd share 😁
I grew up as a teenager in Broussard Louisiana the middle of cajun contury let me tell you one thing is a true cajun if it crawls or swims they know how to catch it and cook it and make it taste great.. I still have scars on my hand from hand grabbing 60lbs catfish and catching alligators with my grandpa as a teenager.
Remember chicken (all birds) evolved from dinosaurs. "Gator" is just more pure dinosaur. :) Love your videos! Often you teach me something about my own American homeland. Please keep up the great work.
you should look up a band named Feufollet, they are from Lafayette and are a younger band that puts a modern sound on traditional cajun music, start with their album-En couleurs it’s on spotify and their biggest song has half a million views it’s called au font du lac, it’s amazing
Bonjour Marie! Il y a quelques restaurants cajun/créole en France à Paris et à Nice, et peut-être dans d'autres endroits aussi. L'étouffée est très bien! La saucisse andouille est fantastique, et bien sûr jambalaya et gumbo.
Watch Justin Wilson, the Cajun Cooker. You will enjoy his recipes, his accent, and his humor. I am not a Cajun, but I was raised in the rural south where wrestling and Justin Wilson was very popular in the 70s.
Thank you! You are courageous! I hope you will see the bayou someday! One more thing about Louisiana, their hospitality! When you hear about Southern hospitality it comes from there! -Terry, Canoga park
The holy trinity is the Louisiana version of mirepoix. Apparently the it came about because the soil in that area isn't good for growing carrots, so they substituted green pepper.
I love your UA-cam content Marie. It’s always interesting. Cajun and Creole food is delicious. I love Okra, it’s such a versatile food. I really hope you can get to travel to Louisiana and Japan which You’ve said you like. Agreed Bunnies are so cute, like mice. I hope you do more cooking with your Mere that was so much fun. I hope you have a lovely, and safe weekend. Bonjour from 🇦🇺.
Add Crawfish Etouffee to your list of foods to try when you come here. Better yet, Catfish Billy, which is Fried Catfish (sometimes on top of rice) topped with Crawfish Etouffee.
Gumbo is popular in a lot of places. I grew up eating gumbo and I've never set foot in Louisiana, unless you count the time I spent at the New Orleans airport back in 1976.
Hello MARIE ! I Have Listened ! Still Subscribed, Like Button Smashed I Hope your Discovery of the Cajun & Creole culture Along with Jazz & Blues music while Thinking about their mouth watering Food & Art will be Amazing experience. It is a History of the United States I Think you will Enjoy Learning from.!!!😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄 Never forget the Voodoo Magic !
Cajun culture is deep in Louisiana/ USA (DEEP SOUTH). MANY SWAMP & Bayou areas. Great Spicy foods & music very specific to that area! Listen to the SONG Jambalaya by John Fogerty( with lyrics). TheN listen to Cajun band playing it using accordion, banjo & washboard!(Chubbie )!! Love their food, music & families! Great reaction!!
Apart from gumbo ,look up jambalaya nd etouffee :shrimp or crayfish etouffee ( I do not know if I am writing it correctly ).Jambalaya has the influences of Spanish ( Iberian ) rice dishes like paella and zarzuela and West African rice. Shrimps and freshwater crawfish are plentiful in Louisiana ,that is why they are used so much .
Did you know? France provided the money, troops, armament, military leadership, and naval support that tipped the balance of military power in favor of the United States and paved the way for the Continental Army's ultimate victory, which was sealed at Yorktown, VA, five years after Franklin embarked on his mission. France helped us win the revolutionary war.
Lafayette Square in Washington, DC, is named after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a hero of the Revolutionary War.
That was pivotal, thanks to the longstanding animosity the French had toward the British and the cycle of revenge. Ben Franklin did all that schmoozing with the French royalty and won their favor; quite a feat of diplomacy !
@@tcanfield Rumor has it he did more than schmooze while there.
@@billkant849 Rocking the fur hat and peasant clothes among the powdered and wigged guys was really a statement about the character of America; love how he operated !
Yeah we learn that when we learn about the war in the DC area. Idk about the rest of the US
Cajun Holy Trinity (bell pepper, celery, onion) is used in many dishes the same way as Mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions) is used in French cuisine.
Exactly. Trinity is the Cajun version of Mirepoix. Thickener is roux.
The Hispanic Holy Trinity : sufrijo : bell pepper, tomato and onions
Jambalaya!
The trinity is literally just an adaptation of the Mirepoix cuz carrots don’t grow that well in Louisiana so we substituted it for bell pepper which grows fantastically in our soil.
@@warbossgrimtoof569 Carrots grow well all over Louisiana, no problemo. I've seen 'em grown my whole life, I'm 73.
As a Texan I am supremely happy to see our flag in the background, much love from Texas my firend. The Cajun culture of our brothers in Louisiana is amazing to learn about, I always recommend listening to the music and their food.
Actually, this video wasn't a mess, we just went with you while you were researching things that many of us didn't know either. It's always fun with you. Thank you.
"Cajun" is a derivative of "Acadian". The Acadians were French settlers that settled on the east coast of Canada. When the British took control of Canada in 1763, many of these settlers relocated to the French colony in Louisiana. There is still a large Acadian population in the eastern provinces of Canada and the French dialect spoken is called Chiac which is a mixture of French, English and the Aboriginal languages of the Mi'kmaq people who live in eastern Canada...
Very nice summary.
From what I understand the Cajun people were deported by the British in 1755 because they refused to give their loyalty to the British. They made their way down to Louisiana and I think Quebec and Louisiana still have a very close relationship because of their history
Both sides of my family were French Canadian. My mother's family remained in Quebec and resisted English rule by having very large families and refusing to speak English. One of my mother's aunts had 21 children and another had 19 for example. My father's side were Arcadian but settled in New England after having their land taken and being banished.
Correct!
Also the Acadians were loaded on 6 different ships and sent to different places. 2 ships went to New Orleans as I understand it.
The food is amazing in Louisiana and we love it. We usually are talking about our next meal while eating our present meal.
The boudin you ate as a child is probably different from Cajun boudin. I'm guessing you had definition #1.
• Boudin-
1 : blood sausage.
2 : a spicy Cajun sausage containing rice and meat (such as pork) or seafood.
And alligator is delicious!
They also have breakfast boudin
Boudin nasty 🤮
The United States is a mix of all the cultures that formed it. Regional differences often reflect the national origin of the people who settled there.
There is much to learn about our relatively brief time as a nation.
One of our great American artists once said, there are no mistakes, there are only happy accidents.
Great video! I’m loving the channel! Language, food, and music are big parts of what makes up a culture, so it makes sense that all the comments mention one of those three things. But I thought I’d mention a few other aspects of Cajun culture. The folklore is pretty interesting. There’s loup garous and rougarous, feu follets, and Cauchmar. We also have a few unique holiday traditions. Mardi Gras may not be unique to Louisiana but the Courir de Mardi Gras is. We have Christmas Eve bonfires to help guide Papa Noel through the bayous, and Petit Bonhomme Janvier visits us on New Years and leaves us treats. Just to name a few things off the top of my head.
You need a trip to Louisiana. You will definitely get to know Cajun culture.
I can give her the tour! We’ll stay clear of Shreveport!
Just don't go to north Louisiana. North Louisiana sucks and might as well be Texas or Arkansas.
Absolutely, that should be your first destination. Then, come visit Boston.
Not just Cajun
@@MacGuffinExMachina Everything worthy of note is south of the lake
I am a Cajun but my parents would not let us speak French because the way they had been treated but I did learn to cook Cajun food my best being GUMBO served on dirty rice
My parents were the same way. I wish that they had taught us Cajun French.
My Mom made my Dad stop teaching me. She said she thought it would confuse me in school.
I can relate. My great grandparents refused to pass down the language because they were brainwashed into thinking it was "ignorant french"
You really should travel to Lafayette, Louisiana at the end of April. They hold Festival International. It’s a free festival spanning over all of Downtown Lafayette. Bands from all over the world. A lot of French Culture
Visit Lafayette for the best food ever. Not just Lafayette but all around the area.
I prefer Lafayette over Baton Rouge, but not NOLA. BR is kinda snobby in parts.
YES. Exactly what I told her in another video. When I lived in Louisiana I tried to never miss it.
Great video and thanks for sharing.
My little sister married a Cajun, he is a retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant and Sniper. When you visit Southern Louisiana and the Cajun area you will find that the people are so friendly its amazing. You will also discover the joy of Boudin. Boudin is Jambalaya in a sausage casing. It is found at every single gas station, minimart, grocery store and butcher. It is always a private recipe so you will find tons of different Boudin. I personally enjoy the Boudin of the Savoie family and they sell it online as well as locally across the state. Boudin is pork shoulder mixed with rice and organ meat and various seasonings.
When I visit my family in the New Orleans area we kayak in the bayou. Visit the museums and enjoy the amazing food and culture of the area. Lots of fishing and hunting as well. To most cajuns, fishing and hunting is considered grocery shopping and is done for food not just sport.
When you get a chance to visit America I would suggest you make time to not just visit the New Orleans area but the greater Cajun area as well. Well worth it. Check out the tourist area but also everything else around it. :) While America is vast and the tourist big cities are flashy, the small areas around the Country are truly the hidden gems and well worth it.
Chris
The "accent" the old man had and the French that the cajuns speak, I'm told, is French as it was spoken 300 to 400 years ago. Cajuns are very traditional.
@Gage Nathan No you didn't.. You're a scammer that runs both accounts in the replies in this comment thread. I've encountered you/this scam on several occasions, in which you make that same exact comment. Then a minute or so later, you come in with a secondary account and reply to that comment, falsely claiming that "you just tried it and it works."
If anybody reads their comment here, or in any other comment section on UA-cam, ignore them. Or you could call them out so others know it's a scam, and report them.
@Julius Valentino Scammer.
Cajuns didn't go directly to Louisiana. They first settled in Canada, later migrating to Louisiana. Along the way, they they picked up new aspects and added them to their culture.
@@RemyJackson not all of them, no. France sent many “ladies of the night” 👀 directly to New Orleans actually. The Canadians that were expelled went to Acadiana mostly, not New Orleans.
@@PatricenotPatrick True, I was generalizing, but not every Cajun shares the same history. My intention was to illustrate why most Cajuns and Acadians do not act like they just got off a plane from Paris. For most, France was generations ago with a few stops along the way
Cajun cuisine is best described as "peasant cuisine"--not fancy like French Haute Cuisine, or even Louisiana "Creole" cooking,, but still complex , and the inheritor of several influences, including French, Spanish, Cato Indian, African, and even Alcase Lorraine, Variations in Cajun cooking depend on the region, with more seafood in the Louisiana islands, and more wild game inland. Much of the emphasis is "all in one pot" cooking, as many Cajun households only had a couple of cast iron pots, one for the main dish, and one for the rice. While often spicy, most Cajun dishes are not super hot, though you can always add more hot sauce if you desire.
Bien merci! I'm from a Parish just west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I am mixed heritage. My father's family, Sanchez, originated in Spanish, where they were Spanish nobility, coat of arms and all. My ancestors both arrived with Los Conquistadores and as immigrants from the Canary Islands, Los Islanos. My father grew up in a large family, in which English, Spanish, and French were commonly heard, French being dominant. My mother's family, Adams, was much smaller and seems to have originated in France and England, with a smattering of German as well. Cajuns were considered stupid, primarily because they did not speak English well, were dirt poor, lived in the woods, on coastal plains, and along bayous. They were fishermen, farmers, and common laborers. Education was rare. My father completed the fifth grade, my mother the third. My mother attended a tiny shack schoolhouse, one of six students. She spoke ONLY French! Students were forced to learn English, were BEATEN when they were overheard speaking French.
BTW in south Louisiana, RICHARD, which is decidedly British, is pronounced "REE...SHARD".
A French twist is added to almost everything.
On making Jambalaya, Zatarains is incredibly good, coming out of a box. You should get the red beans and rice.
BOTH ARE AWESOME!!!
Zatarains may even send samples for FREE, so you.can promote them on your channel. You.should call or write to them.
Bonsoir
Vous devez visiter le New Orleans School of Cooking quand vous visitez Louisiana. Ils enseignent pas seulement les techniques culinaires, mais aussi beaucoup sur l'histoire des Cajuns, Créoles, etc. Et aussi, on peut converser avec les autres étudiants à la table.
I’m a native Texan and Cajun by heritage- love the flag and the video! Ive been learning French myself for a couple months to connect with my ancestors. Thank you!
Jambalaya is a classic country song too!
In Louisiana...turtle, deer, duck, quail, alligator, all types of fish and seafood, pork, beef, if it can't outrun us...it can go on the table..😉....A good cookbook..."Talk about good" lots of good, basic, recipes..and the University of South Louisiana.."The Raging Cajuns"...and of course the LSU Tigers...all part of the culture!
The Cajuns were originally from Acadia (modern day Nova Scotia in Canada). After the British took over Canada, they forced the country to submit to British rule, but the Acadians resisted. So the British drove them out of Canada and they left to different countries. A large community of them went to Louisiana where "Acadian" changed over time into "Cajun".
Cajuns identified as Creoles. To be exact they identified as Acadian-Creoles
I don't think the French were "driven" from French Acadia. They refused to accept Anglican rule when the English sent in their army to consolidate their influence in French Acadia in the year 1701. They then migrated to southern Louisiana and renamed their capital "New Orleans" after Orleans, France. They still have a very closed society, and French is still widely spoken there, although there is some Spanish influence on the language. Highlights, of course, are their cuisine (jambalaya, gumbo, numerous others), and their music (New Orleans jazz in particular).
This is incorrect. 1) many of the Acadians were expelled (driven out ) in Le Grand Dérangement in 1755. 2) The Acadians (Cajuns) did not rename Louisiana's capital "New Orleans". Louisiana was founded by the French and eventually sold to Spain. The Spanish offered land grants to the Acadians (later to be called Cajuns), and the city was already called New Orleans at that time. 3) New Orleans jazz is not the music of the Cajuns. New Orleans jazz originated in Congo Square (located right across Rampart Street behind the French Quarter, now called Louis Armstrong park). The sound of jazz is a mixture of African Rhythms and European brass instruments. Cajun music has a different sound, and can be heard mostly in the prairie areas around Eunice, Mamou, et tout l'autour au tour du moyeu.
@@Reactiv12 unfortunately, they were driven out and families were separated on to six different ships. 2 of those ships went to Port of New Orleans.
@@TheWanderingCajun This is not totally incorrect. Many Acadians did leave voluntarily early after the English army arrived in 1701, given the total disconnect and historic animosity between the two cultures. Some left for New Orleans and others headed back to France. In later years there was a forced exile by the English of the Cajuns that remained. Your point about the origins of New Orleans is well taken. To say that jazz was not influenced at all by the Cajuns would be a bit off base, as by your own admission that jazz was a mixture of African rhythms and European brass instruments (brought to New Orleans by the French, presumably). Agreeably, jazz is not the traditional music of the Cajuns.
I must say I love you for being true to who you are as a French girl while having the Texas flag in the background. I'm from Florida and I still love it! Wow you just raised the bar with this lad here.
Zydeco has a distinct sound. Once you hear it you'll always recognize it. Only alligators in Louisiana. American crocodiles are found in Florida. Very rarely some will make in to Louisiana.
Funnily enough, some folks still call gators "cocodril" in louisianais!
Blackened catfish with melted garlic butter. Gumbo and anything else. Outstanding food. Go down for a fais do do. Great music and people
Just for fun, find some of Justin Wilson's videos. He was a Cajun chef with his own TV cooking show. I think you'll enjoy them.
"Cayenne peppah." That man was just legend.
Oh man, missed opportunity. "Watch, you'll love them! I gare-on-tee!"
Loved him. I was actually thinking about him yesterday. I remember the way he would say 'I guarantee' ...'I gha-rawn-tee' and 'onion'..... 'own yawn'. Check him out. I can barely understand him.
“ a little wine for the broth , a little wine for the cook “ Justin cooked before a live audience. He amazed his audience on day , he stated to add a teaspoon full of salt. But he used his fingers to measure it which got a laugh from his audience. So using his finger a second time but this time he put the salt into a teaspoon. The teaspoon was perfectly level. No more laughter from his audience . Amazing man to say the least
He actually wasn't cajun. He was a yankee man who came down and embraced out culture, and we love him for it
Thank you very much for your interest in Louisiana and the Cajun culture. I was born in New Orleans and raised in Saint Martinville, LA where my grandmother spoke only Cajun French. I learned French before English. After World War II we moved back to New Orleans where my father's family was Irish and spoke only English. It was a very difficult transition for me and I regret not continuing French but in the 1940s and 50s French was frowned on in Louisiana. Many years later, the state created the CODOFIL (Council for Development of French in Louisiana). Thank you again for your videos. I have subscribed to your channel.
Ouais, nous-autres les Franco-Louisianais (Créoles, Cadjins/Cadiens, Houmas, etc.), on est toujours ici en parlant français. 😊 Mais mon ami Jourdan (le jeune homme dans la première vidéo que t’as partagé), il avait raison quand il a dit qu’il y a pas assez de jeunes qui veulent apprendre notre langue. Moi, j’ai pas été élevé en français mais j’ai toujours été entouré de la langue. J’ai grandi dans un p’tit village bilingue où toute la génération de mes grands-parents parlait français comme langue maternelle. En fait, mes grands-parents faisaient partie de la dernière génération d’avoir été née monolingue francophone dans ma communauté. Mon père, lui, il est né bilingue en parlant anglais avec ses parents francophones et français avec ses grands-parents qui sont morts sans avoir appris l’anglais. Comme j’ai dit, j’parlais pas français depuis la naissance mais j’étais un enfant curieux et j’ai demandé à mes grands-parents de m’enseigner le français quand j’étais jeune.
Asteur (Maintenant), j’parle pas parfaitement mais j’ai un garçon et j’essaye d’mon mieux de parler avec lui en français parce que j’veux lui donner l’opportunité de connaître la langue de son héritage, de sa patrie.
Si tu veux entendre un bon exemple du français louisianais qu’est très compréhensible, regarde cette vidéo:
ua-cam.com/video/2QxdhQQ9bto/v-deo.html
C’est un p’tit clip d’une vidéo plus longue que tu peux trouver dans la description de ma vidéo. J’fais aussi des vidéos en français louisianais (ce qu’on appelle souvent le français cadjin/cadien) et aussi en créole louisianais (a.k.a. kouri-vini). C’est des fois difficile à dire la différence mais j’écris dans les descriptions ou dans les titres de mes vidéos la langue que j’parle en-dedans.
The difficulty in translating what you hear, taking a thought of your own and translating it into the language of the person who you are taking to, that takes a a lot of processing power of your brain, and even with your difficulties you still nailed it. I have an impossible time with French as I'm trying to teach myself the language, and I can sympathize with you on the language barrier.
Oh, the point to what I was making was it gets difficult for me at times as well, with the French language. It truly is mentally taxing for me.
The comment you found calling "bell peppers, celery, and onion the holy trinity" of Cajun cooking, is a metaphor to convey that these are very important to cajun cooking and really essential. By the way for your map, you can put a mark for me in Lincoln Park, MI USA. Actually since Lincoln Park is a suburb on Detroit, just mark Detroit. In addition to Louisiana, I hope you come to Michigan and, of course to Detroit. Detroit was founded by the French in 1701 (We celebrated 300 years in 2001!). Detroit (La ville de troit) was founded by a man by the name of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. So many streets and other places including the Detroit River and the Great Lakes were named by the French. One street in Detroit is St. Jean Street. Everybody here pronounces like the woman's name (JEEN, like the denim trousers folks wear) when, of course in french is pronounced "Saint Zhan," or translated St. John. Also I always like to tell my students how Lake Superior got its name by way of explaining why the two most important veins in the human body are called the Superior and Inferior Vena Cava. Many people think Lake Superior is named that because it is so big and deep-- one of the biggest lakes in the world, if not THE biggest. But, I put a book on a table and say in French I could say, "Le livre superior la table," meaning "the book is on top of the table." or throw it on th floor and say, "Le livre inferior la table" meaning the book is underneath the table. So,, then students may figure out that the French called our biggest lake, "La Lac Superieur" becuaes it is the top lake of the Great Lakes. I will send ;you some sourvenirs from Detroit when you have a new Post Office Box to share. Love your show, incuding today's. For Cajun music, I would recommend the band Beau Soliel (a very good CD of their is 'Encore Encore!!"), also Mardis Gras in New Orleand on Rounder Records and Buckwheat Zydeco's Choo Choo Boogaloo CD. Canada, right across the border from here (closed right now due to COVID) is bilingual English and French, especially in the province of Quebec, but everthing is in both languages. I used to portray a French Voyageur when I worked for the National Park Service several years ago. I still have the costume, but alas it no longer fits Some French songs they sang included "En rouallnt ma boule" and "Alouette." A CD that includes some of that music is "Music at Mackinac." I'll try to find some videos of these too and send the links. (I've mentioned before that if you interrupt the videos with comments that seems to be ow other reactors prevent their videos from being taken down. -- Jim Bull
Travel to Louisiana,the Food & Music alone makes it worthwhile.
The Cajuns are like the quebecoise in that they are French in culture but it's not modern French but a very old colonial culture. Most of the modern Cajuns speak a patois of French and English but most are fluent in both.loving friendship from Tennessee
My grandfather fought in France in the Second World War. My grandparents told us they would be beaten in school if they spoke French in school. Then came WW2 and USA needed these French speakers as translators in the war.
My family is from and still lives in Acadiana. Broussard and Saint martinville. My great great grandfather founded Parks. So I still feel a strong connection to the area and culture. My family moved to Texas when I was 9, but Last year I went back for my grandfather’s funeral and was struck by things I didn’t realize as a boy. The road names and French influence were things I associated with sounding unintelligent but now I want to learn the French my grandparents spoke and I wish I had been exposed to more. But, as many have mentioned, they didn’t promote it because of the stigma. I’m intrigued by French culture, food, wine, cycling, such extensive history of people in that region of Europe. Then I hope to explore the country with no limits from my linguistic ability.
Another great presentation Marie. Thank you for highlighting my comment about Cajun and Zydeco music. The Cajuns are not alone in having their language suppressed, the same has happened to the Catalans and Basques in Spain and the indigenous peoples of North America and Australia. Enjoy your journey of discovery into all aspects of Cajun culture, we will follow you all the way.
In the mid 1980s I fixed sinkholes in Florida for a company. I worked with a guy that was French Canadian and he said their French language was different from France. Have you ever learned anything about French Canadian people? I have never been that far into Canada myself. I just worked with this one guy. HIs name is Luc.
Ok Cajun and creole culture are quite distinct these days Creole culture is in more of the cities especially NOLA while Cajun is in the more rural towns that the exiled Acadians from Nova Scotia. EmmyMadeInJapan did a great breakdown about the culinary differences
Yes culture is not only language, but it encompasses :cuisine,music,dance ;expressions used in some cultures way of dress, crafts ,story telling,agriculture,way of raising and hunting and fishing food, etc .
What is Gumbo? Gumbo is life!
(That from a Yankee (from the northern US) that loves cajun cooking)
There are two main types of gumbo, one made with okra, and one with powdered sassafras leaves (called filé powder). Both are thickeners. Okra gumbo is usually made with seafood, while filé gumbo is usually made with meats like chicken and sausage.
Roux is another important element in gumbo. It's flour cooked in some sort of fat, usually oil. Roux is a thickener, and it also adds flavor. As you cook the flour, its color gets darker, and it develops more flavor. Also, the more you cook it, the less it acts as a thickener. The roux used in gumbo is usually cooked until it's very dark, like the color of coffee. It takes skill to make a good dark roux, because the flour can burn very easily.
The word "gumbo" is similar to a Bantu word for okra, so the word was probably brought to America by African slaves.
Gumbo is very rich. A lot of traditional Cajun food is rich.
Jambalaya is similar to Spanish paella. Of course, the seasoning is different, but the basic idea is rice cooked with meats and seafood. Jambalaya tends to be wetter than paella-it doesn't have the socarrat (or crust) that you get in a good paella. There are both Cajun and Creole versions of jambalaya. The main difference is Creole jambalaya is made with tomatoes, while Cajun jambalaya has no tomatoes.
It's interesting to me that you know about andouille sausage. When I was young, this type of sausage was known only in Louisiana. Now it's in France.
Banning a native language is a common form of oppression. The purpose is to destroy a people's cultural identity, to force them to assimilate with the majority culture. The Hawaiian language was banned in Hawaiian schools, Ryukyuan (the native language of Okinawa) was banned by Japan, many native languages (like Ukrainian and Georgian) were either banned or suppressed by the Soviet Union, languages like Welch, Scots, and Irish were banned by England, Spain under Franco banned Catalan, Basque, and Galician, and Native American (i.e. Indian) languages were banned in Indian reservations. These languages survived because they only banned them in places like schools, courts, and government offices. It's much harder to keep people from speaking their native languages in their homes, with friends, in markets, etc.
Cajun boudin is different from French boudin. Cajun boudin is made with ground cooked pork and rice that are mixed with onions and seasonings and stuffed into a casing. Then it's cooked a second time. It's not a blood sausage (like French boudin noir), and it doesn't contain milk (like French boudin blanc). The texture of Cajun boudin is also different from the texture of French boudin. Most people I know who have tried Cajun boudin have liked it. The one thing to watch out for is boudin rouge, which has a lot of cayenne in it and can be quite spicy. Unless you like really spicy food, stick with Cajun boudin blanc.
One of your commenters mentioned blackened food, like blackened catfish. This is not traditional Cajun food. It was invented by a New Orleans chef named Paul Prudhomme in the 1980s. It's delicious, and you could probably find restaurants in Cajun country that serve it, but it's a modern invention that came from an area outside of Cajun country.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your adventure in learning about Cajun culture. Thanks!
I am learning to speak French (again) at age 64 after many years of atrophy. When I was in primary school French language was widely available in US schools as Jackie Kennedy, our First Lady spoke very good French. I have very good comprehension today at a B2 level even after many years of not using the language. I also spent time as a young teenager in Quebec when English was not widely spoken so my French at that time 1971 was very useful. I love the Quebecois people, they are so warm and passionate. I also travel to Louisiana quite often, but have not visited Lafayette or Baton Rouge where there are more cajun French speakers. This is something I must do.
Thank you for this video on Louisiana Cajun. If you’d like to learn more about the Cajun French being banned,
it goes back from the “Deportation des Acadiens” in 1755. Cajuns are considered our cousins, here in Eastern Canada.
@Natasha Syma it would not surprise me at all that you have relatives here in Canada! You are most welcome to visit us in the Atlantic Coast if you ever decide to come to Canada. 😃. I would love to connect with a Richard family member from far away!
The quality of the comments on this posting are excellent, some of the best I’ve seen on UA-cam.
French traders and fur trappers used to marry into Native American tribes to gain access to local trading markets. A number of tribes were matrilineal, meaning bloodlines carry on from the mother, not the father - making the French trader's children "full-blood" tribe members.
So, there are a few French citizens who have Native American cousins.
Sacagewea, the Shoshone guide on the Louis & Clark Expedition, brought her French husband and their son with her on the expedition.
That's something else you could learn about after Cajun culture.
Sorry to be so off topic but does anybody know of a method to log back into an instagram account??
I somehow lost the account password. I would love any help you can offer me!
@Harry Kenneth instablaster ;)
@Grayson Beckett thanks so much for your reply. I found the site on google and im trying it out atm.
Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Grayson Beckett it worked and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thank you so much, you saved my ass :D
@Harry Kenneth You are welcome :D
Gumbo differs quite a bit depending on where you eat it. So if you visit Louisiana you must try gumbo in each area and it will be extremely different.
Great job! Enjoyed this very much. My cajun great grandmother only spoke French, my grandmother spoke both French and English but unfortunately my mother only knows a few words so it never got passed down. My mother remembers visiting her grandmother in Plaucheville, Louisiana and going to church where the preist only did his service in French. If you visit Louisiana go to New Orleans first and the French Quarter or Vieux Carre’, then to Cajun country. I’m surprised this history wasn’t taught in French schools since Louisiana was a colony of France. Cajuns are fun loving people and have a live and let live attitude. We are very proud of our French and Cajun heritage.
I went to basic training with a Cajun from Louisiana. He became a good friend of mine. He poured hot sauce on his food three meals a day.
It's so cool that you are researching Cajun culture. It is but a small part of French culture worldwide. I enjoy it very much. And j'aime beaucoup les fruits de mer. Merci.
This was a wonderful video! Part of my family is cajun from Louisiana. You're very respectful and your English is wonderful!
When you visit North America please consider visiting French Canada, especially the Acadian regions in the Maritime Provinces. The people who became the Louisiana Cajuns originally settled in Canada. It's all connected.
My favorite is Clifton Chenier, who is known as the King of Zydeco!
I would recommend looking up Justin Wilson when studying Cajun cuisine.
one of the thickeners and seasonings is filet which is powdered sassafras leaves. The language is probably unrecognizable but it is old Acadian French.
Descended from the Acadians, French settlers from Atlantic Canada, today they celebrate a diverse and vibrant culture unlike any other
If you like good food you will fall in love it😁 great video as always
If you want to see and experience the Cajun culture, I would recommend that you go to Lafayette, Louisiana.
I suggest Houma, Thibideaux, small villages along the Teche. Lafayette is manufactured culture in my opinion. The old Cajuns are the rare gems.
I've had fried alligator. It's good.
It honestly does taste like chicken, but the texture is like fish.
I really enjoy your enthusiasm for learning about another culture, the world needs more of it. Check out the movie "The Big Easy" with Dennis Quaid & Ellen Barkin-its New Orleans thru a Hollywood lens but does a pretty good job capturing the feel of southern Louisiana (has a great soundtrack too). Also, I highly recommend the Dave Robicheaux books by James Lee Burke, they're set in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes. Burke is an exceptional writer and the stories have a deep sense of place. There are french translations, I saw them on Amazon.
Blackened food. is a mixture of spices and pepper you rub on food. You can get Blackened Fish, Blackened Chicken.
My new favorite UA-cam channel! Merci beaucoup!
My only experience of French food is from waiting in a couple French restaurants in Philadelphia. I thought sweetbreads were delicious i remember with many wonderful recipes. Some of the meats eaten and the sauces including fruits go against my palate. But I'm amazed by you! The things that you don't like are EXACTLY what most Americans don't like.
And I live your videos!! Very informative...you have a good sense of humor! Keep up the good work!
Thickeners: roux and file gumbo. "File gumbo" is the powdered dried leaves of the Sassafras plant. A "roux" is made by cooking equal amounts of flour and fat (butter) until the mixture is a dark brown. It must be stirred constantly. When added to liquid just a small amount will thicken the mixture.
The thickener in Gumbo is a roux based on french cooking. Alligator is a common food in the South and so is rattle snake, rabbit and other local meat.
Justin E. Wilson was a famous Cajun chef and humorist from Louisiana. He died in 2001 but you can still watch clips of his cooking program on UA-cam. The show also included music and historical references to Cajun culture in Louisiana.
A great Cajun song that may not get blocked is on a UA-cam video titled "WHFS Damian's Theme Song". The song is called "Two Step de Platin" by Ambrose Thibodeaux. If you are confused by the video title, WHFS was a radio station I listened to when I was younger that had disk jockeys that would start and end their shows with theme songs (like TV programs do). Also, horse racing is a big part of the Cajun culture.
Louisiana was named after Louis XIV (le Roi Soleil). It is interesting to think that he was also our King. Cajuns are a warm, wonderful people with a zest for life, displayed in their passion for family, food and music. The photo is of my granddaughter at an LSU football game in Baton Rouge. I enjoy your videos and I hope you make it to Louisiana someday.
She's very cute 😍
Funny my uncle is Cajun. Grew up in Louisiana on a bayou took an airboat to school. He didn't learn English really until he went into the Marine Corp when he was 18 he spoke creole growing up basically a mix of English French African Native ect. This was in the early 60's
the cajuns are friendly, wonderful people
If you get the opportunity to travel to Louisiana try to experience several distinct cultures in the south of the state. Creole and Cajun are different and still similar. If you experience Mardi Gras you should also try the Cajun Mardi Gras in Southwest Louisiana. A very different celebration. I collect masks from around the world and was lucky to find one original Cajun mask for my collection that I am very fond of. I lived in Louisiana for many years and always enjoyed the foods, music, and cultures. I also have spent a lot of time in France and in Nantes!
If you wish to browse some of my photos and masks go to sites.google.com/view/vincentspione Click on "More" and go to the mask collection. You will see the Cajun mask with a short description.
Marie, I live in Louisiana but in the northwestern part of the state, 15 minutes from the Texas border. It’s amazing to travel to the southeastern portion of the state around New Orleans. It’s a different world and the food is wonderful. I met a number of great people in college of Cajun heritage and they are a fun group of people. Some of the culture has drifted northward into our area , particularly the food and the Mardi Gras season features amazing parades.
I've been going to Louisiana since I was a small child for vacations. I absolutely love Cajun and Creole food, its my favorite. I introduced my daughters to that hot and spicy food and now they love it as adults. You simply cannot find anywhere else in America like New Orleans, it's unique in all the world. The people are friendly, for the most part, and the food plentiful. Funny story, I was traveling for vacation with family In New Orleans and I was somewhere near Baton Rouge and we had to find a place to eat. We found this restaurant out in the middle of now where to eat, it was pretty much to ourselves. We had a great meal overlooking the river and an alligator on the bank. I was showing both my daughters who were very little at the time when the chef came out and wanted to show us the alligator in action by tossing it a chicken. Well as we all stood and watched the chef climbed down the river bank and tossed the alligator a chicken and he promptly swallowed it whole, but then as the chef climbed the river bank he slipped and that alligator lunged at him and came within a few feet for sure. I thought we were about to all witness that chef get his self eaten by that gator. He came back inside to greet us with his thick Cajun accent, he was all red faced and you could tell that gator caught him by surprise just as it did us. We all laughed about it, the waitress, the chef, my daughters, but it could have been serious.
Very interesting to listen to the old man. His accent is very close to Quebec French, even some words are typically Quebec French.
Zachary Richard spent a great deal of his french career in Quebec as well. Almost as well known as Céline Dion. He won several awards here!!!
It was so interesting to hear your impressions on the Cajun culture and the language. There are other people that speak the language even more fluently than this gentleman. There are many French immersion schools in Louisiana and the speaking the language is encouraged. I hope that sometime you will visit because it is really an enchanting place and the people are very nice.
I meant to mention to that your English is very good and you have a good accent.
Canadian French on my dad's side. I love the Zydeco music. Two performers I can highly recommend. First is a group and also the leader of the group on his own. Beausoliel and Michael Doucet. Much great music over the years. Pick anything and you will probably like it. The other is a lesser known artist, but I just love her music and attitude while performing: Rosie Ledet. She's just so full of life and energy.
Also, the reason a lot of our food has shrimp is bc that the most accessible thing the Cajuns had to eat, a lot of them settled in or near bayous so the easiest method of protein was seafood. Unfortunately I don’t like seafood and it made my Cajun mother cry when I was a child
I love cajun food and cajuns which I personally call french hill billies lol. I lived in Mobile(160 miles east of New Orleans btw) Alabama for a few years and plenty of cajuns and cajun food in that area. I worked at a refinery in Detroit and a company that was contracted by the refinery that I worked for was owned by cajuns from Metairie(suburb of New Orleans) Louisiana and they cooked us workers home made food for dinner and it was some of the best food I've ever tasted.
Mardi Gras is a popular time to visit New Orleans. It is a bit wild but it is tame compared with Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The French quarter is popular in New Orleans as well. The culture there is French, Spanish, and black. They also have their own brand of Jazz.
I make sausage jambalaya at least twice a month. I have one pot in the cabinet I only use for it. We call it my jambalaya pot..lol. It's really just a non-teflon 3 quart dutch oven but after so many years we can't get the black or seasoning completely out of the pan from burning the onions.
You are amazing. You should definitely come visit us in Louisiana.
A couple famous Cajuns are: My wife's great uncle.. Marine General John Lejeune, of which Camp Lejeune is named after.
Claire Chenault leader of the Flying Tigers.
The Flying Tigers. God Is My CoPilot.
Chenault airport in Lake Charles. Really just an Airbus repair facility nowadays
Haha! Okay, so I find myself with time on my hands, so I study some French......then, being a Chaucer fan I looked up Middle English terms. In modern English, "Thank you" is how we show gratitude, as you know. In Middle English, it's "Grant Merci", which is a form of old French "gramerci", all meaning the same thing. I found that fascinating, and thought I'd share 😁
I grew up as a teenager in Broussard Louisiana the middle of cajun contury let me tell you one thing is a true cajun if it crawls or swims they know how to catch it and cook it and make it taste great.. I still have scars on my hand from hand grabbing 60lbs catfish and catching alligators with my grandpa as a teenager.
Remember chicken (all birds) evolved from dinosaurs. "Gator" is just more pure dinosaur. :) Love your videos! Often you teach me something about my own American homeland. Please keep up the great work.
you should look up a band named Feufollet, they are from Lafayette and are a younger band that puts a modern sound on traditional cajun music, start with their album-En couleurs it’s on spotify and their biggest song has half a million views it’s called au font du lac, it’s amazing
When it comes to food you can put just about anything into gumbo or jambalaya and anything that you can hunt or fish that won't kill you is eaten
Bonjour Marie! Il y a quelques restaurants cajun/créole en France à Paris et à Nice, et peut-être dans d'autres endroits aussi. L'étouffée est très bien! La saucisse andouille est fantastique, et bien sûr jambalaya et gumbo.
Aghhh, i'm loving ur channel and ur french accent😍
Actually i'm studing french cuz it's so beautiful and now i'm happy that i found ur channel
I also am "difficult" with seafood but I love pork boudin and chicken & sausage gumbo.
Watch Justin Wilson, the Cajun Cooker. You will enjoy his recipes, his accent, and his humor. I am not a Cajun, but I was raised in the rural south where wrestling and Justin Wilson was very popular in the 70s.
Thank you! You are courageous! I hope you will see the bayou someday! One more thing about Louisiana, their hospitality! When you hear about Southern hospitality it comes from there! -Terry, Canoga park
wow the cajun flag looks so similar to the philippine flag! so pretty 💕
The holy trinity is the Louisiana version of mirepoix. Apparently the it came about because the soil in that area isn't good for growing carrots, so they substituted green pepper.
Forgot to add congratulations on passing 28k subs
Thank you😃
Wayne Toups is Cajun Music in French and English, popular in South Louisiana, Southwest Texas and Souther Mississippi.
I love your UA-cam content Marie. It’s always interesting. Cajun and Creole food is delicious. I love Okra, it’s such a versatile food. I really hope you can get to travel to Louisiana and Japan which You’ve said you like. Agreed Bunnies are so cute, like mice. I hope you do more cooking with your Mere that was so much fun. I hope you have a lovely, and safe weekend. Bonjour from 🇦🇺.
Your life will never be the same now that you've discovered Cajun food! Hope you get to visit us soon. Don't be surprised if you want to stay!
Add Crawfish Etouffee to your list of foods to try when you come here. Better yet, Catfish Billy, which is Fried Catfish (sometimes on top of rice) topped with Crawfish Etouffee.
Gumbo is popular in a lot of places. I grew up eating gumbo and I've never set foot in Louisiana, unless you count the time I spent at the New Orleans airport back in 1976.
Hello MARIE ! I Have Listened !
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I Hope your Discovery of the Cajun & Creole culture Along with Jazz & Blues music while Thinking about their mouth watering Food & Art will be Amazing experience. It is a History of the United States I Think you will Enjoy Learning from.!!!😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
Never forget the Voodoo Magic !
Cajun culture is deep in Louisiana/ USA (DEEP SOUTH). MANY SWAMP & Bayou areas. Great Spicy foods & music very specific to that area! Listen to the SONG Jambalaya by John Fogerty( with lyrics). TheN listen to Cajun band playing it using accordion, banjo & washboard!(Chubbie )!! Love their food, music & families! Great reaction!!
Apart from gumbo ,look up jambalaya nd etouffee :shrimp or crayfish etouffee ( I do not know if I am writing it correctly ).Jambalaya has the influences of Spanish ( Iberian ) rice dishes like paella and zarzuela and West African rice. Shrimps and freshwater crawfish are plentiful in Louisiana ,that is why they are used so much .