In B.R., there are few foods that inspire as much debate as gumbo.
Whether you grew up in Louisiana, or moved here as a transplant, it doesn’t take long to feel the significance of gumbo.
The savory, stew-like soup has been on the Louisiana menu for more than 300 years, when West African slaves are believed to have introduced it. Gumbo continued to evolve and remains the anchor of our culinary culture.
But history aside, what makes this dish so powerful is that it is steeped in passion and ritual.
Like fried chicken, chili and vegetable soup in other parts of the country, gumbo is ubiquitous but highly personal. Each version is different, and each cook believes he or she does it right. Part of the joy in devouring a bowl of gumbo is hearing how it came together, from the preparation of the roux to the choice of proteins. Everyone’s got their go-to variety, like seafood, chicken and sausage, turkey bone or a batch centered around wild game. And for some cooks, there’s that lowly secret ingredient, like lunch meat or dried shrimp, that brings it together even if it makes food snobs scoff.
Eating a bowl of gumbo is comforting because there’s more to it than just straightforward consumption. It’s about engaging in rules and rituals passed down from one generation to the next.
Do you serve it with loose long-grain rice or sticky medium grain? And how is that rice served? On top of the gumbo in scoop form or scattered at the bottom of a shallow bowl before the gumbo is poured in? Then there’s the addition—or not—of filé powder.
When to add the natural thickening agent is a big deal among gumbo cooks, who either swear it goes in while cooking or believe it’s added at the table like salt and Tabasco. And if the gumbo includes okra, itself a natural thickener, well then, filé sits that one out.
And how about on the side? Potato salad or a roasted sweet potato? Corn bread, soda crackers or a crusty baguette?
Gumbo is magical not only because of its deep and homey flavors, but because it’s a tether to memory and tradition.
What’s in your bowl?
Everyone has a favorite gumbo recipe. But what are some of Baton Rouge’s most popular restaurants serving in theirs? We looked at the menus for the top 10 nominees for the 2015 Best of 225 “Best Gumbo” category to see which proteins were the most common. Of the 14 combined bowls of gumbo served by the restaurants, here’s what we found.
Gumbo of all kinds! Where to find it?
Seafood gumbo:
Parrain’s Seafood Restaurant
Dempsey’s
Louisiana Lagniappe
The Chimes
Mike Anderson’s Seafood
Sammy’s Grill
Don’s Seafood
Heads & Tails Seafood
Duck & Andouille:
The Chimes
Chicken & Andouille:
Dempsey’s
Don’s Seafood
Heads & Tails Seafood
Duck, Chicken & Andouille:
Mansurs on the Boulevard
Juban’s
This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of 225 Magazine.
