The word "Cajun" originates from the term "les Acadians," which was used to describe French colonists who settled in the Acadia region of Canada which consisted of present-day New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. In the early 1700s, the Acadians were forcibly removed in what is known as Le Grand Derangement or the Grand Upheaval. Many of the Acadians eventually settled in the marshy region of Louisiana that is known today as Acadiana. Actually, there are four regions in what we call south Louisiana that were settled by the Cajuns, each with different impacts and initiatives. Those areas are known as; Lafourche and Teche (which are the levees and bayous), Attakapas(which is a prairie), Atchafalaya Basin(the Swampland), and New Orleans area and Houma(which are the coastal marshes.
The Acadians were extremely resourceful people that managed to combine all aspects of south Louisiana (flatlands, bayous, and wild game) with its togetherness to the Gulf of Mexico to create a truly unique local cuisine. While many of the residents in Acadiana today have German, French, Native American or Italian roots, among other Louisiana residents (which have all influenced the cuisine in their own ways), their way of life is greatly influenced by the Cajun culture. As with most of its food like other areas of Louisiana, it is widely known for its Cajun French music and the occasional language. With no way to modern-day resources like refrigerators, the early Cajuns made use out of every slaughtered animal that they could. When a hog-like animal is butchered and/or sold as a standard cut of meat, the event is called a "boucherie" Boudin, a type of sausage containing or consists of pork meat, rice and a seasoning stuffed into a casing, usually containing pig liver for extra flavor. Sometimes being misunderstood from other people around the United States as "spicy," it comes from the heavy use of cayenne pepper in most dishes.
