Mixing Cultures: Creating NOLA Food, Language and, Jazz

Jackson Square

New Orleans is seen as one of the cities with the best food in the world. People come from around the world just to try the food of New Orleans, but this food is not monolithic in origins. The story of food in New Orleans is the story of colonialism, immigration, and slavery creating the unique food of the region. A. Fredric Jr, writes in his article “New Orleans- #1 food city in America,” how different elements of cuisine came to the city. 

 “The Native Americans were already here with the Choctaw and Chickasaw Indians and their food staples of corn, herbs, spices, bay leaves, and game and seafood from living off the land. The Spanish brought cayenne pepper, red picante sauce and rice, and the Spanish Paella was the forerunner of the Creole Cajun jambalaya. The Yugoslavs brought oyster cultivation; the Italians tomatoes, olives and beans; the Africans seasonings, and exotic vegetables such as squash and okra”

In this location, Jackson Square you can see this sharing and amalgamation of cultures from Spanish, to French, to African, and more.

Cafe du Monde

One of the most famous and synonymous foods with the city of New Orleans is the beignet, specifically those from Cafe Du Monde. Beignets are pillowy donuts completely covered in powdered sugar. Cafe Du Monde is credited with popularizing the French pastry in New Orleans with the original coffee stand opening in 1862. The story of beignets is an echo of the story of New Orleans. “French settlers brought beignets with them as they migrated to the eastern coast of Canada, a region called Acadia, in the 17th century. Thousands of Acadians endured a forced migration as the British took control of the region a hundred years later. Many Acadians settled in Louisiana, where their descendants became known as Cajuns (National Geographic Education, 2012).” The original location of Cafe Du Monde was established in one of the first French Markets in the city, ironically built by the colonizers at the time, the Spanish (Rich, 2022). The most iconic food staple of New Orleans is a true example of the melting a melding of cultures to create a new distinctly New Orlean staples. 

Oak Alley Plantation

Another sweet food that is thought of as being unique to the American South is praline pecans. There are praline shops everywhere in New Orleans. Praline pecans are clusters of pecans covered in a creamy butter and sugar mixture to create the candy. These are actually based on a French confection that became the New Orleans staple with the use and availability of Pecans instead of Almonds. The cultivation and preparation of pecans were spurred by enslaved Americans out of necessity and knowledge. “Slaves [such as Antoine] knew pecans well. Accounts by former slaves indicate that pecans were an excellent forage crop for plantation chattel, one that complemented a sort of frontier, even Native American–like diet. Slaves passively cultivated pecans as part of plantation subsistence.” Oak Alley Plantation became one of the biggest producers of pecans because of the ingenuity of an enslaved person named Antione in 1846 or 1847. 

 “Roman had Antoine graft 110 more trees in a big pasture abutting the river. This was an ideal spot, rich with alluvial soil and primed for rapid pecan growth. Antoine used the same scions as he had for the original 16 grafted trees. These new trees, too, thrived impressively and produced fantastic nuts. By the Civil War, there were thus 126 grafted trees on the Oak Alley plantation, all genetically uniform descendants of that lone tree situated on the banks of the Mississippi] … In the early 1870s, due largely to the high price of sugar, only Antoine’s 16 original grafted trees remained rooted in Mississippi soil, destined, one might have guessed, to fade into irrelevance.” 

However, this event is cited as what solidified the growth and use of Pecans in New Orleans (According to James McWilliams’ book “ The Pecan : A History of America’s Native Nut.”) that has led to the tourism and explosion of praline pecans in New Orleans that are a true confectionary melting of enslaved people and the French settlers of New Orleans.

Central Grocery

While the Spanish and French influences on the city and New Orleans food culture have come from occupation there was another way that other cultures have come to influence: immigration. This can be seen in the story of the muffalata, an Italian sandwich that has become closely tied to New Orleans. 

“Sicilians have been moving to New Orleans since the 1800s, and bringing flavorful Italian dishes with them. One Sicilian in particular, Lupo Salvadore, opened Central Grocery in 1906 in the French Quarter, and with it, introduced the muffaletta. Located across the street from the French Market, Lupo noticed Sicilians shopping for various ingredients found on the sandwich and trying to put them together in a mess. He decided to do it for them and sold the muffaletta in his shop. He created his own recipe for the olive salad that made the sandwich incredibly popular (The New Orleans Muffaletta).”

Italian immigrants came to New Orleans to create a sandwich that feels distinctly Italian but is fully a new creation unique to and famous in the city. 

Whitney Plantation

Not all those who came to New Orleans and made an impact on New Orleans’ food culture came to the city willingly. One of the groups that made the biggest impact on the food of New Orleans were enslaved Africans. Arguably enslaved people had the biggest impact.

 “The ingredients are African and the techniques are French. France Colonized many of the countries of West Africa before the slave trade to New Orleans, so the enslaved people already had adopted some of the French techniques…The ancestors were brought to Louisiana as enslaved people. So in their heads and in their hearts and in their hands they also brought their food (High on the Hog).”

The ingredients that shape what we think of as Southern food (black-eyed peas, okra, fatback, and more) came from Africa or enslaved people trying to survive. Southern food, and New Orleans food would not be the same without the impact of enslaved Africans as seen here and even before in the story of praline pecans.

From Food to Language

The food that has made New Orleans so notable and prominent has one notable thing to thank: a diverse, rich cultural history. From African, to French, to Italian, to Spanish, as well as the lesser known groups such as the Isleños people, the food in New Orleans has been touched by every culture who has resided in her crescent.

Language- St Bernard Parish

Canary Islanders, now referred to as Isleños, left their home off the coast of Africa at the end of the eighteenth century and established four settlements in New Orleans, Louisiana — Galveztown, Barataria, Valenzuela, and St. Bernard. There they were met with foreign diseases, swampy land, and constant flooding; a terrain much different than what they were accustomed to in the Gran Canary Islands. Nevertheless, they found ways to survive through these conditions and maintained their livelihood as farmers, fishermen, shrimpers, and more utilization of the water that surrounded them. One notable aspect of Isleño culture is their unique dialect, a variation of Spanish influenced by the Canary Islands' linguistic heritage. This dialect, known as "Canary Islander Spanish'' or "Isleño Spanish," has persisted among the Isleño communities, serving as a linguistic link to their ancestral roots. Over the years, the Isleño communities faced various challenges, including natural disasters such as hurricanes and changes in the economic landscape subsequently leading the language and culture down a road of extinction.

Language- Baritaria

What was once a tight-knit community completely isolated from the rest of Louisana, quickly turned into a fading one at risk of losing their entire history and culture. As a result of war and hurricanes, many Isleños left and opened up to the modern world, leaving their customs and language behind. Additionally, they are often overlooked in favor of Creole, French, and Cajun culture making it hard to effectively spread their traditions, especially with each disaster that strikes. Barataria serves as an example of one of the Isleños settlements that did not withstand the test of time. With floods and hurricanes, families were forced to flee or rebuild seasonally due to the continuous loss of homes and crops. Many opted to leave and find work outside their traditional community which greatly affected the transmission of their unique Spanish dialect as English was required and then further passed down to their children. Additionally, the Isleños role in the war efforts in both the Battle of New Orleans and the Civil War, slowly allowed change to seep through the cracks as more Isleños and Americans were brought together in favor of the war efforts giving the Islanders a taste of the outside world. After returning to their agricultural lifestyle, many left in favor of searching for a better life that was absent from the instability farming offered — marking the start of the loss of culture and language.  

Language- Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society of St. Bernard (Museum)

The mission of the Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society of St. Bernard is dedicated to conserving the history, music, folklore, customs, and language of the perishing Iseños heritage. They reinforce the community’s roots and keep key aspects of their culture alive such as the singing of the folk song Décimas, making intricate Tenerife lace items, advertising the authentic Spanish cooking, and putting on the annual Los Isleños Fiesta that allows all types of people to come in and celebrate the Spanish customs while simultaneously raising awareness for the culture and community of the Canary Islanders. However, the language of the Isleños is much harder to preserve with so few speakers left and not enough people willing to learn it is a language that is on the brink of extinction. The language’s contact with English, Lousisana French, and Lousisana Creole had a great influence on this distinct Spanish dialect. There are prominent differences in the pronunciation of the language and even some in verb conjugations and vocabulary making it unique from the standard Spanish dialect. However, its existence Is threatened by the modernization of the community, as many who sought work and life outside the Parish embraced and used English with their children. Now they rely on just a few elders to pass down the sacred dialect before it is lost for good. 

From Language to Jazz

As a result of the many languages spoken and the diverse culture prominent in New Orleans, jazz spread far and wide. When words were insufficient to convey messages, people resorted to music—a universal language bridging a broad range of individuals together. Jazz became a way for people who might not be able to connect on a linguistic level to share similar thoughts and feelings with one another.

Jazz- Preservation Hall

Preservation Hall stands as a preeminent venue for hosting traditional New Orleans Jazz artists. Recognized for its groundbreaking practice of maintaining racially integrated jazz bands and audiences during the Jim Crow era, the Hall has been an enthusiastic supporter of traditional jazz since its resurgence in 1951. While its primary focus is on preserving the authenticity of traditional jazz, Preservation Hall also ensures that musical traditions are not just revered, but celebrated. According to the Preservation Hall Foundation, the venue strives to let these traditions "breathe and evolve with the contributions of subsequent generations, and raise up those who play and appreciate it" (Preservation Hall Foundation n.d.). The hallmark of Preservation Hall lies in its commitment to authenticity, evident not only in the music but also in the atmosphere of the building itself. With simple wooden benches and no air conditioning, the venue provides a rustic and genuine experience, allowing the conservation of traditions and enabling audiences to hear the music as previous generations before them did. Serving as a conduit for passing down traditions and culture to new generations, Preservation Hall still holds significant meaning. It has also played a crucial role in shaping outsiders' perceptions of New Orleans Jazz, serving as a representation of the city's rich cultural heritage. Beyond live performances, Preservation Hall actively engages in educational initiatives throughout New Orleans, hosting workshops, masterclasses, and outreach programs. These efforts aim to educate individuals about the history and profound significance of traditional jazz, particularly within the broader cultural context. 

Jazz- Bourbon Street

• Bourbon Street dates back to 1718, during the founding of the area by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. It was named after the French Bourbon dynasty, and in its early days it was known for being a hub for commerce and trade within the region. During the nineteenth century, New Orleans became a melting pot of cultures, the largest groups including African, Creole, Spanish, Indigenous, and French. This crucial groundwork laid the foundation for the birth of jazz, as the groups who resided in the area combined their musical cultural traditions together. Bourbon Street, with its lively atmosphere and many entertainment venues, became a great hub for jazz musicians to perform; this was a space where they could experiment with new sounds and rhythms and collaborate with other like-minded musicians. The jazz scene in New Orleans, which includes Bourbon Street, can be characterized by a complex mixture of syncopation, improvisation, and combination of instruments from a variety of cultures. 
• While Bourbon Street is known for Jazz, it is also important to note that certain characteristics have changed over the years. Today, Bourbon Street is a popular tourist destination known for its lively nightlife, vibrant atmosphere, and a variety of music genres. While jazz remains an essential part of New Orleans' musical identity, Bourbon Street now hosts a range of musical styles, reflecting the city's diverse cultural heritage that is still prominent to this day. Regardless, the historical connection between Bourbon Street and jazz is still celebrated and cherished to this day through various shapes and forms.

Jazz- Lower Ninth Ward

The Lower Ninth Ward has a very interesting and complex history with the jazz community. Historically, the Lower Ninth Ward has been home to many African-American communities and musicians, and it provided a crucial role in shaping early jazz in New Orleans. Many prominent jazz musicians, such as Antonie “Fats” Domino, hailed from the area. Oftentimes, his music is often associated with the bright and vibrant musical culture in the Lower Ninth Ward. Before 2005, this area was a, “dense, thriving neighborhood of primarily African American lower- to middle-class homeowners,” something that many places around the United States did not have due to pay inequity.

Unfortunately, this neighborhood was hit very hard during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Because of its proximity to the Industrial Canal, which breached during the storm, little to no houses survived, which resulted in the displacement of many individuals, the majority of them being people of color. Although there are still efforts to rebuild, many people did not come back to the Lower Ninth Ward.

Efforts to revitalize both the Lower Ninth Ward and the music scene there are still ongoing. Organizations such as LowerNine are helping to rebuild homes and help the spirit of the area come back. Although difficult, there is a recognition of preserving the cultural and musical contributions of the Lower Ninth Ward and how it affected jazz as an entire genre.