Are You a Fan of Spicy Cajun Food?

When your oldest daughter made the decision to go down south 12 hours to college you never imagined what a great decision it would be. She is finishing this year, the fourth year after she started, with a Biology degree. She completed parts of three of the four years on the Division III gymnastics team. She has made a lifetime of friends and connections with faculty members who have written her letters of recommendation. She has already been accepted into an accelerated nursing school and plans to eventually get her masters degree before becoming a nurse practitioner.
Of all the academic and social benefits that she has earned from going so far away for school, however, there are even more benefits that you never would have expected. By going to school in Louisiana, for instance, your entire family has learned a lot about southern culture. From crawfish boils to the spiciest cajun seafood recipes, these four years have been eye, and taste bud, opening.

Regional Cajun Dishes Highlight Local Foods and Flavors
When you get to the point when you know the difference between gumbo and etouffee and you have a preference when it comes to beignets, you know that you have been immersed in southern culture. From the reaux that is used as a base for many cajun seafood recipes to the mounds of powdered sugar that explode in your face when you take a bite of the tastiest southern dessert, the south has plenty to teach vacationers and out of town college students alike.

Although many people get them confused, there is a difference between cajun and creole. In fact, more than just a difference in cuisine, these two types of food are from two different cultures that developed 70 miles apart. Simply put, creole is often thought of as city food and cajun is considered country food. Either way, they are both delicious, but can take a little while to get used to. Overall, Cajun cuisine, known for its heartiness and spicy flavor, is a style of cooking that developed in the southern U.S. after Acadian immigrants fled Canada as long ago as the 18th century.

If you are not fortunate enough to have had a college student of yours introduce you to cajun seafood recipes, you might want to plan a vacation so that you can find out about a tasty and spicy cuisine that can be very addictive.