CAJUN SPICE MIX
Cajun food originates from South Louisiana. The word Cajun refers to a group of people who settled in Louisiana around the 1700s, following the British invasion of Canada. The group created their own traditions, blending their French- Canadian heritage with aspects of America’s Southern regions, and developed an array of sensational dishes that have steadily grown in popularity, worldwide. Most Cajun recipes begin with a French mirepoix (flavour base) known as ‘The Holy Trinity’, comprising onion, celery and bell peppers. Similarly to how in most English and Italian dishes, onion and garlic are always the first ingredients to hit the pan, this ‘Holy Trinity’ forms the start of any Cajun stew, soup or stock.
A few of the region’s most famous dishes are: gumbo (a savoury stew), jambalaya (a stock-based one-pot), dirty rice (rice with meats and vegetables added) and beignet (a square sugared doughnut, which hit the big screen in Disney’s The Princess And The Frog), all of which can be easily veganised. But even more popular than these Southern delicacies is the Cajun spice mix — a staple in Cajun cooking, this blend perfectly balances the lip-tingling spice of cayenne pepper and paprika, with calmer, aromatic flavours, such as oregano, thyme and onion powder.