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And while some envelope-pushers might try to use both okra and filé in a gumbo, most South Louisianians agree: There are filé folks and there are okra people, and this is an ingredient feud where never the twain shall meet.

seem excessive at times, but never fear — the gumbo can take it.

E IS FOR EGG Unheard of to most, But folks in Eunice — they swear Adding hard-boiled egg Gives their gumbo some flair.

I IS FOR INGENUITY Traditionalists gasp At gumbo competitions, When newfangled ingredients Are on exhibition.

The one-off additions plopped into to a bowl of gumbo on a parish-by-parish basis can seem odd to those uninitiated, but when taken as part of a larger gumbo tapestry, they work to bring a hyperlocal unique ness to Louisiana’s gumbo making. Across the Cajun Prairie — particularly in Eunice — hard-boiled chicken or quail eggs are a common addition to gumbo, while some people in Avoyelles and Rapides Parishes swear that a mashed sweet potato makes all the difference in gumbo quality. Pickles of all kinds also pop up on occasion, lending a zippy tang to a dish known for its richness.

G IS FOR GENEROSITY Every host will tell you, Get another bowl! Gulf Coast families know Gumbo is good for the soul.

Gumbo competitions tend to bring out everyone’s creative side — the goal is to show the judges something they’ve never seen before, after all — but when you’re a gumbo purist, there can be a sense that too many nontraditional items can, quite literally, spoil the pot. Whether home cooks compete at neighborhood charity events or the World Championship Gumbo Cookoff in New Iberia, there are those who fall firmly in the “keep it classic” camp…and others willing to see what gumbo can do. The best way to judge the outside-the-box versions is on the only merit that really counts: Is it delicious?

Let’s be honest: If you’re invited to a meal in South Louisiana, there’s no way you’ll walk away from the table without feeling at least a little overstuffed. Call it the curse of the generous host, but more is more when it comes to meals along the Gulf Coast: If you’re not going back for a second bowl of gumbo, someone will encourage you to do so. Maybe even several people. After all, if you’re not cleaning your bowl and headed back for round two, the cook might not think you’re enjoying it…and there’s no need to risk offending anyone.

F IS FOR FILÉ Don’t be stingy with the fil é If you want your gumbo thick, This charmed herbal powder Always does the trick.

J IS FOR JAMBALAYA A close cousin to gumbo, That much is true, But if you mix these two up — Then shame on you.

H IS FOR HOT SAUCE Looking for a kick of heat Or a five-alarm fire? Splashing hot sauce on your gumbo Will take the spice levels higher.

Filé powder — or gumbo filé — is an herbal, dried-and-ground powder made from the leaves of the sassafras tree, and when you first spot it in the spice aisle, it looks a whole lot like a big jar of dust. But one shake into your gumbo and it’s obvious that this is the sort of magic dust that Cajun fairy tales are made of, thickening the gumbo so smoothly and effortlessly that few other methods can compare. That is, unless you’re in “camp okra” as the superior gumbo thickener. In his 2019 book, Gumbo Life: Tales from the Roux Bayou , Ken Wells notes that filé’s role as a thickener for gumbo-like dishes extends back centuries, with an early Native American dish along the Gulf Coast combining saltwater scooped from the Gulf, filé and freshly caught shrimp into a stew-like meal.

Both dishes involve rice, a bevy of meats and a roux, sure. But be forewarned: There are few greater sins than conflating jambalaya and gumbo. If you’re uninitiated in the ways of the Cajun or Creole table, consider yourself warned. (You’ll thank me later.)

We all know someone who is a true hot sauce head: a person so deep into capsaicin levels and the Scoville scale that practically every other condiment in their house has been replaced in favor of the spicy stuff. They put hot sauce on everything — and gumbo is no exception. Even those without the palate of a fire-breathing dragon enjoy a dash (or 12) of hot sauce in their gumbo, whether it’s Crystal, hot pepper vinegar or some homemade concoction that could likely singe off someone’s eyebrows. The amount of hot sauce people stir into gumbo might

K IS FOR K-PAUL’S Paul Prudhomme Made gumbo a sensation,

Bringing Cajun flavor To the entire nation.

20 ROUSES FAL L 2022