What is the difference between CAJUN and CREOLE '?

Answer 1

Creole is hot and French influenced, Cajun is hot and Spanish influenced.

Answer 2

Creole tends to be more "refined", French technique and recipes from plantation kitchens. Cajun is from country kitchens, the "people's" foods.

Answer 3

Cajun vs. Creole
French exiles from Nova Scotia put similar sets of ingredients such as seafood and fresh game, over a fire to boil. Their cuisine and culture came to be known as Cajun and it reflected ethnic influences similar to those of the cosmopolitan cousin, Creole. Cajun cooking however is more simple and further removed from traditional French cuisine. Gumbo andouille and crawfish etouffee might appear both on Cajun and Creole tables, while boudin sausage and cracklins are Creole comfort food.


What is Creole?
The term Creole was originally used to identify those born in the French colony that we refer to today as Louisiana. Later Creole was used to differentiate those earlier settlers from many Americans who settled in New Orleans after the Louisiana Purchase. Creole developed from the early French, Spanish and Afro-Caribbean cultures that uniquely formed its ethnicity. Today, Creole food is one of Louisiana's desirable cuisines. It commonly features fresh seafood, complex sauces and hearty portions of butter.
What is Cajun?
The Cajun culture sprang from the traditions of the Acadians who settled in South Louisiana following their departure from Nova Scotia in 1755. This French colonial culture melded with mainland French traditions already in place in Louisiana and with Spanish, Native American, English and German influences-as it evolved to form the distinctive and unique Cajun culture found today in Louisiana. Slow-cooked, highly seasoned food and heartfelt music are just a few of its characteristics.


Cajun, Creole common ground
Cajun and Creole use the "Holy Trinity" of New Orleans cooking: green peppers, onions and celery. They both use roux (pronounced 'roo) as the base of the dish. A Roux is simply flour cooked in fat, either pork fat or butter, until it browns. This adds flavor and thickness to the dish.