[Gumbo]

The other day, on my way home from the Sanjo Showroom, I stopped by an imported food store and found a Cajun spice mix that we had been out of at home for a while, and decided to try making "gumbo" for the first time in a while. This is an American dish that we learned from an American we met at a pub in Kyoto a few years ago and was impressed by its deliciousness.

Gumbo is a stew dish that originated in the U.S. state of Louisiana and has spread throughout the Gulf Coast region. Made with plenty of vegetables, meat, seafood, and other ingredients, thickened with okra and filé powder, and finished with a spicy kick, gumbo is rich and flavorful. The pairing with rice goes without saying, and it is traditionally served on a single plate. The origin of the name is "ki ngombo" (Angolan), an African language that actually means "okra," which is put in most gumbos, or "ki gombo" (Central Bantu), short for "gombo," which is the most likely origin of the word.

There are two main styles of gumbo: on the one hand, the gumbo of the Cajun people, whose ancestors were directly descended from the French who settled in the Acadia region of eastern North America and migrated to southern Louisiana. It is made mainly from seafood such as shrimp and crab, as well as local indigenous ingredients, and features a relatively spicy, dark-colored roux, often without tomatoes. The other is the gumbo of the Creole people, whose ancestors are the first French and Spanish settlers of the American South, as well as Africans and Native Americans, and who live in the Louisiana area. Based on the seasoning of traditional French sauces, the gumbo is a mixture of elements from various cultures, including okra brought by African cooks and slow cooking over low heat, Spanish influences such as the use of seafood and meat at the same time, food on rice, and chili peppers, as well as Italian elements such as the use of tomatoes.

What they all have in common is the use of the "holy trinity" of onions, celery, and bell peppers. The sweetness and umami from these three ingredients is the basis of gumbo's soup base. As I was serving the plate of gumbo, in which the vegetables are simmered to the point of melting, I was fascinated to see how many different cultures and histories have been condensed into this dish, and most of all, I could not help but feel the diversity that the United States has to offer.

Our favorite Creole-style gumbo is made with chicken and sausage and lots of tomatoes, in addition to the "holy trinity" vegetables. The plates on which we serve it are Hasami plates made in the motif of popular tableware used in American restaurants in the 1960s. Renge Spoon from Yoshita Handi-Design Studio is indispensable for this dish, as they can be used to scoop soup, ingredients, and rice. Flat Bowl from Appi Urushi Studio is also a perfect match. It is especially recommended on days when you want to eat a nutritious dish with plenty of vegetables with rice.

Creole-style gumbo

Ingredients (3-4 servings):
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper (bell peppers), with the stem and wattles removed, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 bag okra
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (chili powder)
1-2 teaspoons cajun spice mix
(or a mix of oregano, cayenne pepper, and paprika powder)
A pinch of black pepper
150 g sausage
1 chicken thigh
Shrimp (peeled, dorsal fins removed), to taste
3-4 cups chicken broth or water
A pinch of chopped parsley for garnish
A little cooked white rice
Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Instructions:
1. Sprinkle a pinch of Cajun spice over the chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, season, let sit for a while, and brown in a pan or pan with oil.
2. Add finely sliced balls of chicken to the pan. Add the finely chopped onion, green pepper, and celery to the pan and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, Cajun spice mix, and black pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add sausage, okra, and chicken broth (water), bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer over medium-low heat until flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes.
6. Add shrimp, if using, and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes more. Add cayenne pepper and season to taste. Serve with white rice, topped with parsley and hot sauce if desired.

Hasami's Plate
https://www.shokunin.com/en/hasami/plate.html
Yoshita Handi-Design Studio's Renge Spoon
https://www.shokunin.com/en/yoshita/cutlery.html
Appi Urushi Studio's Flat Bowl
https://www.shokunin.com/en/appi/bowl.html

References
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9C_(%E6%96%99%E7%90%86)
https://www.elle.com/jp/gourmet/g30557363/cajunvscreolefood-19-0421-r/?slide=1
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AC%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E6%96%99%E7%90%86
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B1%E3%82%A4%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3#%E5%8F%82%E8%80%83%E6%96%87%E7%8C%AE
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-gumbo (Reference recipe)
https://cookingloverskitchen.com/2014/03/08/%e3%82%a2%e3%83%a1%e3%83%aa%e3%82%ab%e6%96%99%e7%90%86%e3%81%ae%e9%80%b8%e5%93%81%e3%83%bb%e3%82%ac%e3%83%b3%e3%83%9c/ (Reference recipe)