What Is The Difference Between Cajun And Creole Food?

I lived in New Orleans for a few years and here’s what I saw as the difference/similarities.
Creole cooking is influenced by French, Spanish, French Caribbean, African, and American.
Cajun is mainly influenced by French since Cajuns are decendants of the French Acadians. Also, Cajun food is more country cooking (rustic as some would describe it) using what can be hunted.
However, the two cultures/cuisines pretty much share the same influences being in Southern Louisiana living side-by-side, as a result the cuisines are more similar than different.
I have to disgree with the previous poster.
Creole food is typically the upscale food – Arnaud’s, Antoine’s, Brennan’s and Commander’s Palace are all “Creole” restaurants. These are fancy high ticket restaurants.

What’s The Difference Between Cajun And Creole Food?

Creoles are descended from the French Aristocrats & Spanish who settled into early New Orleans/LA. Later they intermarried and breed with the African Americans and Native Americans in the area. A blend of French, Spanish, Native American, and African American (cooking wise)
Cajuns came along later. Cajuns were FRENCH peasant farmers and fishermen who origianlly settled in the “new world” in Acadie (now known as Nova Scotia) and were later expelled be the british and were eventually given lands by above said Creoles in New Orleans. These were swamplands in a general area of the southwest of LA – which has now become know as Acadiana. In Nova Scotia and in “Acadiana” the Acadians (or ‘cadiens – Cajuns) had to live off the lands to survive hence the more peasant like foods. They too melded with the exisisting locals and Cajuns foods have a touch of African American And native influences too.
by the way – Cajuns have very very few food dishes with Tomatoes in them I hate seeing restaurants around the world call something Cajun and it is full of tomatoes- yuck Shrimp Gumbo with a bunch tomatoes

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