Jambalaya vs Gumbo: What Makes Them Different

Two major staples of New Orleans’ cuisine are Jambalaya and Gumbo. These two dishes have been synonymous with the culture of the French Quarter, and they are often confused with one another.

It is very easy to see why anyone would confuse jambalaya and gumbo. They both use very similar recipes and ingredients in their preparation.

Both dishes feature some combination of protein, rice, and spices that are usually very hot. Most of the ecutremen that accompany both are also hot and spicy in nature.

It can be very difficult to distinguish these two dishes, but there are a few things that do separate them.

Some Basic Facts About Gumbo

• Gumbo is the de facto dish of the French Quarter and is something that truly identifies the state of Louisiana and the area around it.
• The dish itself actually follows Haitian culture, and this is where it often gets confused with Jambalaya, which also has roots in Haitian culture.
• Gumbo utilizes strongly flavored stocks, and its protein of choice is usually seafood. To be even more specific, the most famous gumbo recipes use shellfish as their protein.

 

• Vegetables are also part of most signature gumbo recipes, usually consisting of celery, bell peppers, and onions. While the most basic gumbo recipes use this combination, some of the more advanced recipes use variations of those vegetables, which function more as a garnish or an ecutremen.
• Something that separates gumbo from other dishes like it is its main protein. Again, the main protein used in gumbo is shellfish. Although chicken and sausage might be added, they are never the main protein used in gumbo dishes.
• Sausage and chicken are optional in gumbo. While they enhance the dish, they are not necessary in any gumbo recipe.

Another thing that gumbo revolves around is broth. The broth in gumbo is typically very flavorful as well as plentiful. Broth makes up the base of most gumbo recipes, and it is very rare to see gumbo recipes not use broth.

Some Basic Facts About Jambalaya

• Like gumbo, jambalaya is also a Haitian creole dish and is part of the main cuisine of the French Quarter.
• Jambalaya uses sausage and chicken as its main protein ingredient, and although shellfish is occasionally used, it is not very common for shellfish to be used in a jambalaya dish.
• As far as vegetables go, jambalaya typically uses the same kind of vegetables as gumbo does: Many jambalaya recipes also use celery, bell peppers, and onions.

• Something that is used a little more in jambalaya recipes is rice. A lot of jambalaya recipes use more rice in their base than broth.
• This is done because rice tends to provide better texture for chicken and especially sausage than broth does.
• But broth also needs to be included in some aspect with jambalaya to prevent all of the ingredients of the jambalaya from drying out.
• These comprise the fundamentals of any jambalaya recipe: An emphasis on sausage or chicken, the same kinds of vegetables as gumbo, and more rice in their base than broth.

Now you know the basic facts of jambalaya and gumbo. But what are the specific differences between these two cajun dishes?

The Two Things That Separate jambalaya and Gumbo

As mentioned earlier, gumbo contains shellfish as its main protein ingredient and uses more broth than rice to maintain the texture of this main protein. Jambalaya’s main protein is chicken or sausage, and it uses more rice than broth to maintain the texture of these two proteins. This is the fundamental difference between jambalaya and gumbo.

But what are the specific differences between jambalaya and gumbo? These specific differences revolve around two things.

The first is the utilization of okra. Okra is rarely used in jambalaya recipes, but it is used in a fair amount of gumbo recipes.

Okra is used in gumbo recipes because of the fact that gumbo uses more broth and uses shellfish as its main ingredient. Okra complements these two much more than the sausage, chicken, and rice that comprises most jambalaya dishes.

Another thing that is used almost exclusively in gumbo dishes is file powder. This kind of powder is used in gumbo dishes to create the flavorful and hot broth that is a part of so many gumbo recipes.

Other Factors to Consider with Jambalaya and Gumbo

Because there is typically more broth than rice in a gumbo recipe, this also means that the spices used in the broth are also more pronounced. This means that if you have decided to prepare gumbo, you’ll want to be aware of this, especially if you are preparing it for guests.

While jambalaya has a heat factor in its own right with the spices used in their recipes, it is not as pronounced because of the rice that it uses as a base.

Some jambalaya recipes do not even use broths, which is another thing to be aware of. It is possible to use nothing but rice as a base in some jambalaya recipes.

Remember that broth is a requirement for virtually all gumbo recipes. This means that if you are inexperienced in preparing broth, you may want to opt for preparing jambalaya instead.

Jambalaya and gumbo are often confused, and it is useful to understand that there is a difference between the two.

Understanding this difference is useful because the people you are preparing these two dishes for may have different preferences.

You cannot expect anybody else to understand the difference between jambalaya and gumbo, so it is up to you to make this distinction for them and understand what kind of preferences they have.

Indeed, somebody could prefer jambalaya but when they describe what they enjoy, they could very well be listing off the qualities of gumbo, and vice versa.

This is not to say that you should make other people’s decisions for them or correct them when they mention their own preferences, but it does mean that you should actively listen to them when they mention said preferences and then prepare what they want accordingly when it comes to jambalaya or gumbo.

Knowing the differences and similarities between jambalaya and gumbo will ensure that you are preparing the right dish for the right crowd.

Also Read

1. Top Microwave Rice Cooker for the Money
2. Best Indoor Smokeless Grill Consumer Reports