I can't stand a tomato based gumbo, but I do like okra in it. I don't know how to make gumbo myself yet, but my maw-maw will be teaching me around Christmas to make it her way. :thumb: I'm excited. The hubby is from WV but loves good ol' Cajun food. The only thing he's tried that he's not a fan of is crawfish :dis:. Oh well, can't win 'em all.
For me, gumbo can or cannot have okra, I'll eat it either way. However, gumbo can never have tomatoes or any derivative of a tomato in it.
my wife joked with me this morning about making some gumbo for my birthday, I didnt have to say a word, before she said, "I'll make reservations somewhere" I dont understand putting okra in gumbo it kinda changes the texture to me.
Well, yeah! It's supposed to thicken the broth. Next you're going to tell me you don't put file into it either . . .
Shows you how our perspectives change over time. Gumbo originated as "poor folk" food. It is a way to "stretch" ingrediants and allows for an abundance of combinations of meats etc. My grandfather ("Poppa") was a young man during the Great Depression. Obviously people here in south Louisiana felt the impact and having something to eat was not always a guarantee. One of the things he spoke often about eating was mustard greens and ham gumbo. I tried it as a young kid and didn't like it. Another thing that his family did was to add boiled eggs to stews and gumbos, again a way to stretch food with what they had available. The man enjoyed mustard green gumbo like no other and every stew and gumbo he ate had to have boiled eggs with them. To this day everyone in my family boils eggs when we make gumbos or stews in his honor !
Okay, boiled eggs make me want to gag, but that line about making them in your granddad's honor is really sweet.
