Jambalaya appears as a signature dish in 1 United States cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Jambalaya · New Orleans
Louisiana's one-pot rice dish, the holy trinity sweated with andouille and chicken or shrimp, rice toasted in the fat, simmered in stock until the liquid is gone and the rice carries the smoke.
Jambalaya traces to Spanish paella, brought to Louisiana under Spanish colonial rule (1763 to 1803). The name itself may come from a Provencal word for mishmash. The Creole (red) version, with tomato, evolved in New Orleans Spanish kitchens. The Cajun (brown) version, no tomato, evolved in the country parishes west of New Orleans where tomatoes were less common. Coop's Place on Decatur has run jambalaya since 1983 as one of the canonical Quarter versions. Brigtsen's runs a Frank Brigtsen-style jambalaya in his Riverbend dining room. The dish is a single pot that has to come together at one heat in one moment; you don't add cooked rice.
Where to eat in New Orleans:
- Coop's Place
- Brigtsen's
- Mother's Restaurant
- Commander's Palace