Culinary Diaspora: The Taste of New Orleans Abroad
From the series: From New Orleans to the World
They say you can take the girl out of New Orleans, but you can’t take New Orleans out of the girl. Well baby, that goes double for our food.
Wherever I travel, there’s a sixth sense that kicks in. I'm sniffing out a roux from half a block away, clocking a fleur-de-lis on a foreign menu, side-eyeing a beignet that dares to go powdered sugar-free. From Tokyo to Toronto, Paris to Port of Spain, the flavors of New Orleans have found their way into some unexpected kitchens. Our gumbo got a passport, and it’s been racking up stamps.
Let’s take a little taste tour of how Creole and Cajun cuisine have traveled the globe. It’s adapted, adopted, and sometimes a little misunderstood, but always rooted in something familiar: soul, spice, and stories passed down in cast iron.
Gumbo in Paris, Y’all
Yes, gumbo à Paris is a real thing. In the chic Marais district, you might stumble into a candlelit bistro where the menu lists “gombo de crevettes et andouille.” Is it authentic? That depends on who’s cooking. Some chefs studied in New Orleans kitchens. Others took a page from Paul Prudhomme or Leah Chase and ran with it. And then there are those who, bless their hearts, think okra and jambalaya are interchangeable.
But here's the magic: even when it's not perfect, gumbo still brings people together. Parisians linger over their bowls, marveling at how smoky and spicy and mysterious it all feels. Little do they know, it’s just Tuesday in the Treme.
Beignets in Tokyo
If you think the powdered sugar cloud at Café du Monde is intense, try watching beignets get the Harajuku treatment. In Tokyo, these babies are filled with matcha cream, yuzu custard, and even black sesame ganache. They’re Instagrammable, sure. But bite into one and you’ll still catch that crispy-soft texture and the buttery backbone that screams New Orleans.
Japanese chefs are meticulous, which means they really study the dough, the fry time, the rise. Some even import Louisiana flour and fryers. It’s part homage, part innovation. And honestly? I’d eat a yuzu beignet in a heartbeat.
Jambalaya on the Danube
There’s a little riverside café in Budapest serving a Hungarian spin on jambalaya, swapping smoked sausage for paprika-packed kolbász and tossing in sweet peppers. It's not the same and it shouldn’t be. What they’ve done is Creole in spirit: they used what they had and fed a crowd.
That’s what our cuisine has always been about. Ingenuity. Resourcefulness. Making something bold and beautiful out of whatever’s in the pot.
From the Bayou to the World Stage
Here’s the thing: New Orleans food moves. It rides in the bellies of musicians on tour, in the memories of Katrina evacuees who rebuilt lives in Houston, Atlanta, and beyond. It shows up in fusion restaurants, supper clubs, pop-up kitchens, and immigrant homes that recognize the rhythm of our recipes. And it never stays static.
You’ll find po’boys reimagined as bánh mì in Berlin. Étouffée on a menu in Melbourne. Crawfish boils in Cape Town. A little too polite, maybe, but the spirit’s there.
It’s not just the dishes that travel. It’s the stories, the seasoning, the stubborn insistence that food should feed your soul as much as your stomach.
Don’t Call It Cajun If It Ain’t Got That Kick
Of course, with global love comes global confusion. Let’s set the record straight: blackened chicken doesn’t mean burnt chicken. Cajun seasoning is not just paprika with a tan. And no, Emeril did not invent gumbo.
As our culinary traditions go global, they also get diluted. Which is why it’s more important than ever to tell the truth behind the taste. To talk about the Indigenous, African, Caribbean, Spanish, and French hands that shaped every dish. To celebrate the Black grandmothers and Creole chefs who stirred with care and taught by showing. To remember that a roux is more than a thickener. It’s a ritual.
Bringing It Back Home
If you’re lucky enough to be in New Orleans, count your blessings and your boudin. If you’re far away, there’s still a way to stay connected. Support the restaurants abroad trying to get it right. Share your family recipes. Teach somebody how to make red beans on a Monday. Carry the story with you, whether you're serving gumbo in your Brooklyn apartment or frying beignets in a Belfast bakery.
Because no matter where you go, New Orleans is always ready to pull up a chair and pass the hot sauce.
From New Orleans to the World isn’t just about where our people go. It’s about how we bring our flavors, our culture, and our soul with us. Food is memory. Food is migration. Food is legacy. And baby, New Orleans never travels light.
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It really is everywhere, so now I make a point to check for places that are Creole run!