Top 10 Quotes about Cajun Cooking

Cajuns like to eat and they like to cook. It’s that simple. And like all good French people, they like to talk about food, too.

Traveling around Louisiana has been a smorgasbord of spice and good eating. But even more fun for me are all the fantastic things I’ve heard Cajuns say about their food. The following quotes are all 100% real, overhead in the short time since I arrived in Louisiana.

1. “We fry everything — if we could stick a bike tire in the right kind of batter, we’d eat it.” Gas Station Attendant, Port Fouchon
2. “They tried opening a Red Lobster in Lafayette — man, that place closed in less than a year. Cajuns won’t eat no frozen shrimp.” Resident
3. “Oh, I never order gumbo when I go out. I already know that mine’s the best.” Housewife, Vermillion Parish
4. “I had a foodie from up North in here once. He was tasting my food and telling me there was fennel in it. No way, I said. We don’t know what fennel is down here. If my daddy saw fennel in his backyard, he’d knock it over with a weed eater!” Restaurant owner, Abbeville
5. (On tough game meat) “I won’t eat an animal that’s been chased by dogs. That’s disgusting!” Hunter, Chauvin
6. “The first person to eat an oyster was either really brave or else really hungry” Oysterman, Houma
7. “You’re not gonna see many skinny Cajuns.” Chef, Houma
8. “It’s very hard having a restaurant down here. Cooking for people who know how to cook is hard.” Restaurant Cook, Vermillion Parish
   
9. “We call it Slap ya’ Mamma sauce, ‘cuz the food’s so good it makes you wanna slap ya’ mamma,” Housewife, New Iberia
10. “A Cajun will always share a recipe with you, but they’ll always leave out one ingredient.” Tourist couple from Baton Rouge