When you and your family or friends travel to New Orleans you may come across words that you’ve never heard or seen before. We’re here to help – much of this is verbiage or expressions you may already know, but others may be brand new – take a look.

FOOD AND DRINK

• Beignet: This is a flat square of dough flash-fried to a golden puffiness. Then it’s dusted with powdered sugar and served hot. Very messy to eat but no one cares

• Boudin: A tasty Cajun sausage made with pork, pork liver, cooked rice and spices

• Cajun (cuisine): This is the rustic cuisine of the countryside

• Creole (cuisine): It’s the rich, refined cuisine of the city

• Étouffée: A Cajun or Creole stew of shellfish or chicken served over rice; very filling and delicious

•  Go cup: This is a plastic cup given to patrons in bars so they can take their drink with them when they leave – a great idea – wish we had that in NYC

•  Jambalaya: A hearty, rice-based dish with any combination of fowl, shellfish or meat (but often includes ham)

• Migras: An easy-to-eat dish of scrambled eggs mixed with fried tortilla strips

• Mudbug: A term for crawfish that’s not particularly appetizing; let’s stick with crawfish

• Muffuletta: You’ll love this round sesame-crusted loaf – spread with a salty olive salad and layered with cheeses and deli meats – great for when you’re starving

• Po’boy: Another filling sandwich made with French bread and overstuffed with roast beef, shrimp, oysters or crab

  Sazerac: A potent whiskey drink that uses rye as its primary ingredient, with aromatic bitters. This calls for Peychaud’s bitters which are locally produced. Add a bit of sugar and a swish of absinthe – and WOW!

• Snowballs: This is shaved ice in a paper cup that is doused liberally with flavored syrup

• Tasso: A cured, smoked piece of ham

MUSIC

• Calliope: An organ-like musical instrument fitted with steam whistles, historically played on showboats and in traveling fairs

• Faus do do: A Cajun dance party that really swings

• Frottoir: This is a metal washboard-like instrument that’s worn like armor and played with spoons

• Zydeco: A style of local music that combines French tunes with Caribbean music and blues

ALL OTHER

• Briquette-entre-poteaux: This is a style of architecture common to French-colonial houses, where brick fills the spaces between vertical and diagonal posts

• Faubourgs: Means “suburbs” – although “neighborhoods” is a more accurate translation

• Gris-gris: this is a voodoo amulet that is believed to protect the wearer from evil – or bring luck

• Krewes: A deliberate misspelling of the word “crews” – an organization or groups of people that create floats and stage festivities during Mardi Gras  

• Plaçage: A cultural institution whereby white men “kept” light-skinned black women as their mistresses

• Santeria: A Puerto Rican religion related to voodoo

• Vieux Carré: An alternate term for the French Quarter that means “Old Square”

We’ve given you 25 items to explore – some new, some old – but all part of  the history and culture of New Orleans.

Interested in finding a place to enjoy some of the delicious food mentioned in this blog? Ask the friendly staff at Rathbone Mansions - we are happy to help!

A GOOD NEWS UPDATE: I have just received an email with a headline saying, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS? The email is dated Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at 7:04 pm and says, “If you know what it means to miss us – rest assured that we know what it means to miss you.”

“As we enter PHASE ONE of our REOPENING PLAN, we’re excited to welcome some of our cherished rituals back into our lives – but in a measured way that ensures the safety and well-being of everyone in our community.”  This news brought tears to my eyes.

Shaun Nelson-Henrick