When the weather gets cooler, even for just one day, who else craves gumbo? The traditional stew of seasoning vegetables, meat and rich roux-based soup served over rice satisfies my hunger and my soul during the fall.

When I was growing up, my dad would take my sister and me crabbing in the rivers that end in the lake where the water is brackish. If we caught any smaller ones, my mom would process them and freeze them, always calling them gumbo crabs. She added half crabs in shell to the gumbo to cook. That is still my favorite gumbo recipe by far.

Sometimes New Orleanians mistake authenticity for traditionalism. Authenticity is an evolution by definition, as it is your own. Traditionalism, clinging to the past because it is old, is often not true to now. In my experience, this is often demonstrated through recipes. Many people who live in the area of the country known for making gumbo will tell you that only their recipe is correct. Whatever they grew up eating is the only right way to eat gumbo. Does it have tomatoes? Garlic? Did you use jarred roux? What kind of sausage? Did you dare to mix chicken and seafood? Rice or potato salad? Both?! Add the potato salad or keep it on the side?

The rules for gumbo are exhausting. And entirely made up, like so many New Orleans myths.

Once, someone claimed to me that their recipes were the only authentic ones because they were over 100 years old. This was in the year of our lord 2022, so Louisiana was THREE hundred years old. There are plenty of recipes printed and published before 1922. Why does this person think that’s when authentic gumbo was invented? And why does anyone think that 100 year old recipes will satisfy our modern palates?

Because these are some of the oldest gumbo recipes I found. No mention of roux, lots of tomatoes, and beef…or rat or pickled lizard as the protein.

Do you have a favorite gumbo recipe to share? I’d love to hear it!