Where Did Cajun Food Come From?

Cajun style cooking originated in the deep south of the United States: Louisiana. A group of local people in Louisiana who had French ancestry but hailed from Canada began the Cajun cooking tradition. Exiled from Canada (by force from the British control at the time), this group eventually settled in the swamps of southern Louisiana. Known as Acadians, they are a unique cultural group with their own language. The Acadians did what they could to survive, and Cajun cooking originated from living off what was provided in the swamps. In addition to this, Acadians borrowed some cooking influence from the Native Americans in the area. And thus the Cajun single black iron pot cooking style was born.

Those who love Cajun style cooking can’t seem to get enough of it. The United States currently ranks as the third largest consumer of seafood, right after China and Japan. A large reason for this is the love of Cajun cooking.

If you are looking for crawfish kemah or other Cajun seafood recipes, you have come to the right place. We are full of Cajun cuisine. Many people ask us if there are any health benefits to Cajun food. That is a great question that we would love to answer

Traditional Cajun Food and The Health Benefits

Cajun seafood recipes include a host of mouthwatering ingredients. As you are reading this, you can probably smell the aroma of the delicious spices wafting through the air.

Though we admit we aren’t in it for the health, there are some pretty good benefits of Cajun seafood recipes, and they taste great to boot! Just look at a list of some of the typical ingredients we use in many Cajun seafood recipes:

• Onions
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Garlic
• Paprika
• And of course, Crawfish

Let’s break down these ingredients a little bit.

Onions: Man these things pack a punch! In addition to balancing incredible flavor throughout Cajun dishes, onions have been shown to fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease. The way onions do this is with their incredible anti-inflammatory properties. Beyond that, onions also have great antibacterial and antiviral properties that protect against the common cold.

Tomatoes: A great source of antioxidants (the stuff that fights free radical cancer-causing agents), tomatoes are also filled with Vitamin A and Vitamin C. This helps keep your vision sharp (important for surviving in the swamp lands!) and your hair strong and shiny. Tomatoes have also been shown to promote skin, teeth, and bone health.

Peppers: Ah yes, the almighty pepper. Like tomatoes, peppers are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C. However, peppers also tote a large amount of Vitamin K. Combined, these vitamins help protect your cells and slow the aging process. They also help defend the immune system. Cajun seafood recipes are sounding pretty good by now, right?

Garlic and Paprika: Anciently, garlic was toted as a totem to ward off vampires. Though vampires aren’t something we are concerned about today, garlic provides a host of other benefits. It has large amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin B-6, which are essential to brain and body health. Paprika also provides the body with magnesium and iron, which are essential for overall health.

For the love of Crawfish: This wouldn’t be a proper article about the health benefits of Cajun seafood recipes unless we talked about crawfish. Crawfish are often the backbone of a delicious Cajun meal. Here are some amazing facts about crawfish:

• • Crawfish is packed with protein. 5 ounces of crawfish has over 20 grams of protein.
  • Crawfish are high in B Vitamins, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous.
  • Crawfish taste amazing. Which makes you happy. Being happy is healthy. Period.

So no matter your reasons for looking for delicious Cajun seafood recipes, we think you will agree with us that a night of Cajun cooking is good for the soul. Delicious spices and smells, a warm meal, it doesn’t get much better than that.

If you are new to Cajun food, give it a try, you will love it.