Gumbo ain’t Soup.

A few thoughts about Gumbo…

Soup isn’t a meal, rather an appetizer, a snack, something to tide you over. Maybe with a sandwich half, yes it’s a meal. Stew, on the other hand, is a meal. Chunks of meat, vegetables, a flavorful broth has the effect of hunger satisfaction. Then, there’s Gumbo, which is its own thing. It’s not a soup, nor a stew, but rather Gumbo. Beyond the bowl, this dish signifies a region. You can even misspell the word with an “eaux” and people know what your talking about. So yes, Gumbeaux is more than soup, in my opinion.

I’ve been learnt a good bit about Gumbo in my short lifetime. It is not a question of the best Gumbo, but rather a celebration of good Gumbo. The best is a task in the food world best left to online media listing agencies. People smarter than me will tell you where the word Gumbo came from, the origins of this or that, but all I can say for sure is what Gumbo has been in my life.

I did not grow up eating gumbo at home. There isn’t a hallmark stirring of the roux after church kind of memory for me. But growing up in New Orleans, I did eat Gumbo often. Somebody was always making a batch. It was at most any event where drinking was to be had, and drinking was to be had a-plenty! I have a taste memory, but not necessarily a cooking memory.

When I was at food school in New York, we had three-week class cycles in different areas of study. One of the areas was Cuisines of the Americas. Every two days, we discovered a new region of the Americas, North, Central, and South. While studying North America’s Southeastern Region, there just so happens to be two days dedicated to one city. No other city was taught during this class, except for New Orleans! I found myself falling in love with the cooking of the city, which I had been eating for so long. Since returning home, I have eaten several Gumbos. But, this time, with a sense of purpose. It has taken a bit of thyme, but it’s ready now. Hope to cook for you soon!

-Matthew Kopfler