Not to be confused with Gumby. Louisiana, and is the official state cuisine. Gumbo pot can be made with or without okra or filé powder.

The preferred method in the historical New Orleans variation is with a French dark roux. The flavor of the dish has its origins in many cultures. The dish combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including African, French, Spanish, and Native American Choctaw. Gumbo may have been based on traditional native dishes, or may be a derivation of the French dish bouillabaisse, or Choctaw stew, but most likely all of these dishes contributed to the original recipe.

The name of the dish comes most likely from Africa by way of Louisiana French. Scholars and chefs have offered various explanations for the etymology of the word “gumbo”. The dish was likely named after one of its two main ingredients, okra or filé. Gumbo is a veritable art form in Louisiana. There are as many gumbo recipes as there are cooks.

Stir the Pot: The History of Cajun Cuisine, p. Gumbo is a heavily seasoned stew that combines several varieties of meat or seafood with a sauce or gravy. Any combination of meat or seafood can be used. Gumbo broth or gravy derives from three primary thickeners: okra, filé powder, and roux. Traditionally, okra and filé powder are not used in the same dish, although this rule is sometimes broken.

Ground sassafras leaf, known as filé, is generally not added to the gravy until after the vegetables and meats or seafood have finished cooking and have been removed from the heat source. Gumbo is typically divided into two varieties. Combinations traditionally common in New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana are known as “Creole” after the Louisiana Creole people, descendants of the area’s French, Spanish, and African immigrants. Gumbo is usually identified by its dark roux, cooked until it is a color “a few shades from burning”.