Blog Challenge

A friend from "across the pond" suggested a blog challenge - Myths About My State. Living in Louisiana, I've heard a few....

1. Everyone in Louisiana is Cajun. False. Only about 20% of population of Louisiana is truly Cajun. The term Cajun refers to the French-speaking people who were sent here in exile from Acadia provinces in Canada by the English. So, unless you descended from these people, you are not really Cajun. (And I'm really NOT Cajun. I am French - from France directly to New Orleans - and English and German - no one from Acadiana.)


2. Everyone in Louisiana speaks French. False. Some of the Cajuns do speak a corrupted version of French - Cajun French - the language is truly dying out and many people are trying to revive its usage so the language is not lost. I don't speak a word of French. Although I do say Ma'Ma' (maw maw - term for a grandmother) in a manner that has yet to be duplicated by any Yanks I know. And this pronunciation is unique to Louisiana.


3. All the land in Louisiana is bayou or swamp. False. If you look at the state of Louisiana map, it looks like a boot. While much of the land to the "sole" of the boot is bayou - mostly the bottom part of the Acadiana parishes - there is actually lots of farm land here. We grow sugar cane, soybeans, and cotton.
4. New Orleans is very French. Hmm.....kinda. Since New Orleans was a Spanish territory for so long, there is a LOT of Spanish influence - in the naming of streets, in the architecture - but there is also a lot of French influence as well. That blend of cultures is what makes New Orleans so unique.
5. Louisiana's climate is hot and humid. True! We are a subtropical region and in the summer the temperatures AND the humidity both climb toward 100. Almost everyone in Louisiana has air conditioning because you'd die of heat stroke without it (and people do every summer).
6. People in Louisiana eat weird things. Hmmm.....depends on what you consider weird. We are the biggest producer of crawfish (not CRAYfish and don't say it that way down here - you'll be laughed out of town). And crawfish are DELICIOUS! Don't knock it until you try it! Some other "odd" regional dishes - boudin (boo-dan) is a sausage made with pork and rice. There is white boudin and red boudin. If you come for a visit and eat some, stick with the white. :^D Just trust me on this one.
7. Everyone in Louisiana has a pet alligator. NO. Absolutely not. They are in the bayous and if you go out in a boat on a bayou, chances are you'll see one. Unless you go in September. That's alligator hunting season and they go into hiding then! Alligator is also considered a delicacy in Louisiana. It's pretty tough, though. There are yummier things to try. But it's not yucky. Tastes like chicken. :^D Not really! It's more beefy tasting.

That's all the myths I can think of. If you have heard a Louisiana myth, let me know and I'll address it here.