(This is from a piece by Tyler Cowen, “An Economist Visits New Orleans: Has Cajun Cuisine Recovered?” that appeared in Slate, April 21, 2006. To see restaurants serving Cajun food in the DC area, see the Cajun category.)
There is a rule for eating well in southwestern Louisiana: When you see a house or shack with a hand-written sign, stop and eat. The worse the handwriting, the more compelling the need to visit. In this part of the world, lax health regulators are the gourmet’s best friend. The ingredients will be fresh, and your cook will have spent years perfecting one or two dishes. The boiled crawfish (the locals say “mudbugs“) and the boudin blanc are my favorites. The latter, sausage stuffed with pork, rice, and peppers, is for this foodie the best in the United States.
These foods are known as “Cajun“; the reference is to the individuals descended from the displaced Acadians who left Nova Scotia in the 18th century for Louisiana and other parts of the United States. Originally, “Creole” food referred to haute urban styles from New Orleans (e.g., Oysters Bienville, with wine, cheese, and butter) and “Cajun” food referred to Acadian rural dishes such as maquechoux. But since the late 19th century, the styles have become increasingly integrated and blurred.
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