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Gumbo’s Origin

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Gumbo is ubiquitous in New Orleans cuisine. Liz Williams of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum explains that gumbo became a mainstay because of the influence of Africans on our culture and food. It was named from a variation of the word “gombo.”

Gombo was a corruption of the West African word for okra. In French today, gombo is still used to mean okra. The dish was referenced as early as the mid-18th century. Other thickeners, like filé and roux, could be used when okra wasn’t available.

Find great gumbo recipes in WWL-TV’s In the Kitchen Holiday e-cookbook.

WWL-TV, Part of Tegna Local Louisiana

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