When you think Louisiana, your mind may conjure up images of Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. But–while we’re not above a raucous celebration every now and again– you’ll be seriously limiting yourself if you think that’s all the state has to offer.

Anthony Bourdain said it best:

“There are parts of America that are special, unique, unlike anywhere else. Cultures all their own, kept close, much loved but largely misunderstood. The vast patchwork of saltwater marshes, bayous, and prairie land that make up Cajun country is one of those places.” 

That’s from the opening narration of one of Bourdain’s Parts Unknown episodes: Cajun Mardi Gras. 

Cajun culture is one that truly fits the classic American idea of a “melting pot.” Cajuns are the descendants of Roman Catholic French Canadians, displaced by the British from French colony of Acadia, who thereafter settled the bayous of southern Louisiana. Although French influences remain a key element of Cajun culture, it’s the additional mix of Native American, African American, Spanish and English heritage that gives Cajun culture its unique flavor. 

Food, Music and Good Times

Courtesy of Louisiana Cookin

One of the first things you need to know about Cajun culture is that they love to have a good time. 

“For Cajuns growing up in this rural area… Saturdays and Sundays were meant for families to gather and cook and play music,” said Walt Adams, owner of the acclaimed Cajun bed and breakfast on Lake Martin called Maison Madeleine. “That’s still very much in the culture here: the interrelation between food and music and manufacturing a great time. The attitude and the spirit that true residents here share is remarkable.” 

New Orleans is well known as the birthplace of jazz and the home of iconic musicians, such as Louis Armstrong. Although jazz certainly can be found outside the big city as well, Cajun music relies more heavily on the accordion and fiddle than the saxophone. 

 And of course, good music is best accompanied with good food. Thankfully, something that Cajun country has no shortage of. Adams said that it’s hard to beat crawfish when it’s done right but that gumbo (a stew of strongly-flavored stock, meat or shellfish and vegetables) was what initially hooked him 20 years ago when he decided to move to Louisiana.  

Cajun Mardi Gras

Courtesy of Louisiana Travel

Gumbo is such an influential pillar of Cajun culture that there’s an entire festival based on it. You may think nothing could be crazier than New Orleans’ Mardi Gras festivities, but that’s only if you haven’t ventured out into the rural towns to experience Courir de Mardi Gras– or the Cajun Mardi Gras, as it’s sometimes called. 

The traditional festival features colorfully-dressed individuals running from house to house begging (or demanding!) ingredients for gumbo. The grande finale involves the attending revelers chasing after a runaway chicken with the goal of capture. A goal made more difficult than it may seem, considering the preceding day of drinking. Once caught, the chicken is added to the gumbo as the final ingredient.

If you’re interested in joining in on the fun, there are a few rules: You must make your own costume and your face cannot be seen. Cue the crazy masks and tattered, flashy outfits.

France’s Legacy

One of the most obvious ways French heritage is present in Cajun culture (besides all of the amazing bread) is through language. In certain areas, a local dialect of French is spoken called Cajun French or French Creole. 

“You go in a gas station or grocery store, you’re going to hear French Creole spoken as a first language here,” Adams said. “Francophones– wherever they’re from in the world– are comfortable here because it’s not completely foreign. It’s the equivalent of an American going to England.”

In fact, Adams estimated that over half of their guests at Maison Madeleine were French before COVID limited international travel.

“Many people from France come into New Orleans and find it too intense and commercialized,” Adams said. “They want to see where their ancestors went.”

The Landscape

The hauntingly beautiful swamps and bayous of southern Louisiana are more than a pretty backdrop for Cajun people. Adams claims that the landscape is the main source of Cajun culture’s inspiration, from music and good times out on the lakes to the perfect environment for crawfish to thrive. 

“There’s a lot of nature here and every bit of that– the art, music, food, families– the natural environment is the catalyst for everything else,” Adams said.

Top photo courtesy of Maison Madeleine.

Sample Itinerary

Want to experience Cajun country for yourself? Check out this itinerary for more of an idea of what your Louisiana trip could look like: The Best of New Orleans and Cajun Country

The post A Guide to Cajun Culture in Southern Louisiana appeared first on All Roads North.

Born in Savannah during segregation, Gunn can trace her lineage to her great-grandmother born enslaved on a plantation in McIntosh county and, even further, to the ship that brought her ancestors across the sea, stolen from their homelands in Africa.

In 2017, Gunn founded her own company to share her Gullah Geechee culture and ancestry. With the philosophy that healing can only happen when truth is told, she strives to shine a light on the hushed history of slavery in her city of Savannah.

The Unique Gullah Geechee Culture

The Gullah Geechee people are direct descendants of the enslaved Africans that dwelled on the coast of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and the northern tip of Florida. Gunn said the culture is marked by a deep awareness of ancestral linkage and spirituality. In her community, Gunn described her relatives as speaking with a “wonderful rhythm” that essentially amounts to another language.

“I think of myself as being bilingual,” Gunn said. “I speak the Queen’s English perfectly when I need to, but as Gullah Geechee, I know how to relax my tongue and speak the [Gullah-Geechee] language, and I enjoy it.”

However, there was a period of time when Gunn said she didn’t want to associate with her culture. She moved away from Savannah for 25 years, working in the corporate world of social justice and death sentence reform.

“When I left [Savannah], I did not feel proud to be Gullah Geechee because it was always looked at as something negative,” Gunn said. “When I returned, I realized that lots of people here are Gullah Geechee because of the direct connection to African ancestors. It’s something to be proud of.”

Looking Back To Move Forward

Gunn’s company, Underground Tours, walks visitors through the city. Shows them where her ancestors lived and died and worked. Sings sacred songs of mourning and of pain. 

“It’s all going to be in Gullah Geechee dialect. That’s who we are,” Gunn said. “And it’s impromptu. We may sing “Steal Away” on one tour and the next tour we may be singing “Wade in the Water,” but it’s like a homage tour. You get a chance to know that you are walking with Gullah Geechee descendants, you really do.”

Gunn believes that learning about the past of slavery is essential for the nation to move forward.  

“I don’t know about other cities but in Savannah, people don’t talk about slavery,” Gunn said. “People start at ‘Isn’t this a beautiful city? It’s romantic,’ but don’t talk about the fact that these slaves were here for 116 years– they built this beautiful city. And there are no markers downtown to say they existed.”

Affecting Change

When Gunn began her company, she envisioned it being just a source of information. It didn’t take long for her to realize that it would also become a catalyst for activism. The more Gunn learned about the past of slavery in Savanah, the more that she realized needed to change.

Her current project involves a town square in the city called Calhoun Square, named after American Vice President Johnson Calhoun. In November 2020, Gunn discovered that the square is a burying ground of hundreds of enslaved bodies with no marker. Gunn and her team are requesting that the city rename the square Jubilee Square to honor the enslaved Africans that were laid to rest there.

“So we’re asking the city to rename that square in homage to those enslaved Africans that were buried there,” Gunn said. “And we are requesting that it be renamed Jubilee Square.”

The effort has received a positive response from the city and is on its way through various approval processes. Every month, she goes to the square and educates people– talking to folks about the history of the area and getting petitions signed.

“I want the young generation to know that, yes, black lives matter,” Gunn said. “But I want them to know as they walk through here that black lives mattered then too. And black lives matter now.”

In the past year, since the onset of COVID-19 and the tragic death of George Floyd, Gunn said she has been busier than ever. 

“Get to the Water”

Before we said goodbye, Gunn wanted to share a final piece of advice for this tumultuous time: 

“I think during this pandemic everybody’s full of anxieties and depression and oppression,” Gunn said. “The Gullah Geechee elders on the coast of Georgia would say that if you’re feeling overwhelmed at all about this season that we’re in, as soon as you can, get to water. Get to an ocean, get to a lake, a swimming pool, or a bathtub with candles. But take a break as soon as possible if you’re feeling overwhelmed, and get to water because water calms your soul.”

Photos courtesy of Patt Gunn, top photo by Vicki Hardy Photography.

Interested in a culture-rich trip to the South?

Check out this itinerary: Charleston, Savannah and the Golden Isles

The post Sister Patt: Gullah Geechee Storyteller & Activist appeared first on All Roads North.

How have you seen the restaurant scene and the approach to Southern food change over the past decade?

Ten years ago chefs still felt they had to legitimize Southern food. Everyone was obsessed with cooking a hog. Well, anyone can cook a pig. This younger generation is approaching food with an academic interest. Honesty is becoming a greater part of food in the South as chef’s embrace their family’s immigrant roots and explore how that plays into the landscape. Frankly, it took guys like Aaron Franklin, Sam Jones and Rodney Scott to show people that if you cook the food you remember—your family’s food—that is what touches people most deeply. Today, being an excellent cook means coming to a deep understanding of the story you are trying to tell through your food.

Tim Hontzas (more on him below) worked for me and he aspired to be a fine dining chef. I remember talking to him about his family’s Greek history and thinking he should do something with that. He’s now opened a meat-n-three where he cooks his family’s food with ingredients that are indigenous to the South. Restaurants like his exemplify the current state of Southern food. It’s exciting.

Is fine dining still relevant in the South?

I don’t think people are over fine dining but they are over the arduous 16-course tasting menu. But places like Kindred, a white linen, full-service restaurant in Davidson, NC (see below) does not feel stuffy. Folks aren’t impressed with an $8 million dining room or crazy technology like a wine list on an iPad. They’re impressed by quality ingredients and a meal that tells a narrative.

What artisans are you most excited about right now?

We went through an artisanal explosion 10 years ago and the ones who survived are spectacular and truly doing something unique. A day doesn’t pass in the South that a chef doesn’t praise Glenn Roberts, founder of Anson Mills. Allan Benton came from nothing and his fascination with his ham made him a star in the food world. Right now I’m seeing a big trend in craft distilling. Wonder Bird Spirits in Oxford is so dedicated to making an outstanding craft product, with beautiful package and a great narrative. Gin is their core product and they only use botanicals within a one to two-mile radius. And there are a number of people making boutique kitchen knives. I just ordered some from Clay Beckwith, who is the son of a well-known Mississippi sculptor.

Your Big Bad Breakfast concept has taken off throughout the South. What’s the secret?

I always dreamed of having a breakfast place. Growing up, breakfast was such an important part of the day. I remember before my dad and I would go duck hunting he’d have cooked a pot of white beans all night long and he’d put them on white bread with Worcestershire sauce and fold it in half topped with bits of broken ham and stuff it in my mouth. My grandparents had a general store and during the week my grandma would make griddle sausage and biscuits and serve it to the guys who came by to read their newspapers by the wood stove. We’re told breakfast is the most important meal yet it’s been dished off to commercial restaurants like Waffle House, Cracker Barrel and IHOP. I applied the same principles and philosophies of my other places to Big Bad Breakfast. It’s a chef-driven menu. I recently had my friend, chef Mike Solomonov, from Zahav in Philadelphia visit. We sat down before the LSU game and ate braised lamb neck on grits and pancakes. He kept asking, why is this pancake so good?

What are your essential food experiences right now in every state in the South?

ALABAMA

Johnny’s Restaurant, Homewood

James Beard Award nominee Tim Hontzas jokingly calls his restaurant a Greek and Three, a nod to that fact that he draws on his Greek heritage to reinvent classic Southern meat-n-three dishes here.

Johnny’s in Homewood

ARKANSAS

Onyx Coffee Lab, Bentonville
Bentonville is a bizarre town where you feel there are more Walmart employees than locals. This cool, design-driven coffee shop is set in the middle of downtown and does coffee right.

The Hive at 21C Museum Hotel, Bentonville
Tucked away in this little town is chef Matthew McClure, who in my opinion, is one of the best chefs in the South.

The Hive in Bentonville (Credit: 21C Museum Hotels)

FLORIDA

Joe Patti’s Seafood, Pensacola
Every time I go down to the Panhandle I have to stop here. It’s nothing but seafood and accoutrements. It’s like the Walmart of seafood. I could have easily spent $1,000 my first visit and spent the rest of the afternoon cooking.

GEORGIA

Chai Pani Decatur, Decatur
James Beard Award nominee Meherwan Irani took a risk opening his Indian street food-style restaurant but it’s been insanely successful.

Ticonderago Club, Atlanta
This is where to go for one of the most exciting cocktail scenes in town.

(Credit: Ticonderoga Club)

LOUSIANA

Tastee Restaurant, New Orleans
Located in a strip mall near the last exit in West New Orleans before you get on the highway, this is one of the last chain doughnut shops from the 70s. The branding remains the same as does the doughnut recipe, but they’ve expanded to po’ boys, sliders, gumbo, jambalaya and smothered turkey necks and rice. The place is always packed and the food is on point.

MISSISSIPPI

Aplós, Jackson
You can dine-in or take-out at this affordable, fast-casual, elevated Greek spot set in a high-end shopping development.

Bully’s Soulfood Restaurant, Jackson
This place is just spectacular and soulful. Owner Tyrone Bully built it by hand and he puts just as much care into each and every dish he cooks.

NORTH CAROLINA

Kindred, Davidson
I just adore husband-and-wife owners Katy and Joe Kindred. Their restaurant celebrates community and challenges palettes with dishes like squid ink conchiglie with sea urchin butter.

Hello, Sailor, Cornelius
The Kindred’s follow up on Lake Cornelius has an updated camp fish menu and retro feel you can’t not love.

The bar at Kindred (Credit: Elizabeth Cecil)

SOUTH CAROLINA

High Wire Distilling, Charleston
I’m such a huge fan of this distillery. Everything owner Scott Blackwell and his wife Ann Marshall do is just so thoughtful and cool. Their sorghum whiskey shouldn’t be missed.

TENNESSEE

Miel, Nashville
This is a tiny, hidden gem of a French-inspired restaurant that continues to do insanely delicious food every night. Miel has one of the loveliest patios in the city. You can sit out there by the firepit and have drinks or eat in a separate private dining room.

TEXAS

Vera Cruz All Natural, Austin

They have the best tacos. It’s a must-stop every time I’m in Austin.

VIRGINIA

Red Truck Rural Bakery, Warrentown and Marshall
Former Washington Post art director, Brian Noyes, opened this bakery in a renovated 1920s gas station. It’s so tidy and cool—as if designer Billy Reid dreamed it up. When the economy crashed in 2015, he wrote president Obama saying he’d continue to dump his savings into his dream, knowing Obama would lead us through the tough times. The following year, on Pi Day, Obama shared the letter on a post on the White House Facebook page along with a photo of him eating a slice of Brian’s signature half sweet potato, half pecan pie. His business has been booming ever since.

The post Where to Eat in the South – Chef John Currence Tells Us appeared first on All Roads North.