This article was written by Danielle

If Créole people didn’t exist, Americans–scratch that, the world– wouldn’t have many of the finer things in life that are usually taken for granted. How many of you listen to jazz? Who feels that we’ve benefited from the Civil Rights Movement? I know that gumbo has improved your way of life somehow, too! Now tell me if I’m wrong.

Derived from the Latin word for “create,” creare, Créole literally means a created race. The term used to refer to the descendants of Louisiana’s French settlers. With time, the meaning has broadened its scope to include people of mixed ancestry, including West African, West Indian, Spanish, Cuban, German, Native American, Russian, Chinese, Irish and Italian (mostly Sicilian)! No wonder we all look adopted. As the Old World came together to form the New World, Créoles were misunderstood and even ostracized from society.

They learned to stick together because they were considered “too white to be black and too black to be white.” Instead of preserving one piece of their heritage, Créoles originated evolved forms of just about everything from architecture to music.

France claimed “Louisiane” as its territory from the 1690′s to 1763 until the King sold the colony to Spain. Then the United States of America snatched up the land in 1803, and French and Spanish Créoles alike reluctantly opened their businesses to the Americans.

You should’ve seen these Créoles and “Les Americains” fight like cats and dogs amongst each other over the smallest things. Back then, if you had a garden in front of your home, you were considered to be the trash of the caste-like, societal structure. Old school Créoles are probably turning over in their graves with Beyoncé Knowles singing about some “shake your derriere in the House of Deréon.”

Later in the 18th Century, many Africans from francophone countries arrived in the Gulf Coast port as slaves. They came from Mali, Benin, Senegal, Haiti, and Nigeria. Having similar cultures, they related to one another well enough to retain customs from their native lands and contribute just as much as Europeans–if not more so– to Créole developments. Créoles allowed more people of color to gain freedom, which in turn added to the richly varied aspects of the Créole culture.

Although the Créole diet can be fattening, it, too, is in a state of flux as chefs cater to the public’s demands for healthier recipes. Say, “bye-bye,” Popeyes! Créoles of color especially recognize the need to prevent heart disease, and that is why they aren’t giving up intense flavor for new ways of cooking traditional dishes. This group of people’s resourcefulness has lead to tasty substitutions for many an unhealthy ingredient. Recipes have also simply called for using more and better produce, grains, varied meats, and protein sources. Créole cooking is more than just gumbo and jambalaya. It’s the first fusion food, linking African, European and Caribbean cuisines. Still, gumbo remains one of the most well known staples of New Orleans cuisine. A spicy stew, its name comes from the African word for “okra,” kigombo. It’s a rich soup full of shell fish, meat, vegetables, and rice. Another mouthwatering favorite of the Créole world is Bananas Foster, which combines bananas, ice cream, pecans, caramel, rum, banana liquer, and (SURPRISE!) voodoo dust. Actually, most Créole people don’t practice voodoo, and by voodoo dust I mean cinnamon.

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Hollywood and American History is also chock full of drool-inducing Créoles. The sensational Joséphine Baker, often wrongly discounted as a mere exotic dancer, served to thwart racism in the U.S. and France. She was a part of many firsts: the first all-black Broadway musical, the first international superstar of color, and the first African-American actress to name a few. She even adopted 12 children of different ethnicities, calling them “The Rainbow Tribe,” and proved to onlookers that all humans can get along. Créole Goddess Miss Baker received more than a thousand marriage proposals! Today’s hot and spicy Créoles include KD Aubert, Garcelle Beauvais, Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Solange, Tina Knowles, Bryant C. Gumbel, Gilbert E. Martin, Johnny Depp, Dawn Richard, Lynn Whitfield, Amel Larrieux,  Louis Armstrong, Ice T, Steve Martin, Colin Powell, Sean Paul, Wyclef Jean, Christina Milian, Selma Hayek, Don Lemon, The Neville Brothers, Ellen Degeneres, and the list goes on.

Many earlier Créoles, though, have gone unrewarded for their outstanding contributions: P.B.S. Pinchback, first senator and governor of color; Rose Nicaud, first coffee vendor; Jean Babtiste du Sable, Chicago’s founder; Jelly Roll Morton, first jazz musician; Ernest Morial, first mayor of color of New Orleans; James Augustine Healy, first Roman Catholic Bishop of color; Antoine Dominique “Fats” Domino, a rock-and-roll Hall of Famer; Dr. Roudanez, founder of first non-white daily newspaper; and many others. Unfortunately, very few publications document Créole achievements.

BANANAS FOSTER
4 Servings INGREDIENTS 5 Tablespoons butter 4 Bananas cut in half lengthwise then halve 4 Tablespoons brown sugar ¼ cup of light rum 1 Teaspoon cinnamon 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream 3 Tablespoons banana liquor INSTRUCTIONS Melt butter in a skillet or flambé pan. Add sugar, cinnamon, and banana liquor and stir until sugar melts. Add bananas to sauce and sauté until bananas are soft and browned. Add rum and allow to get hot so that you can flambé (ignite) the pan. Liquor should ignite if hot and placed near a flame. Tip pan in circular motion. Place ice cream in 4 bowls topping with 4 pieces of banana. Spoon sauce over bananas and ice cream and serve immediately.

Article written by Karen Beadle