 Red beans and rice with sausage | |
| Place of origin | United States |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Louisiana |
| Main ingredients | |
Red beans and rice is an emblematic dish ofLouisiana Creole cuisine (not originally ofCajun cuisine) traditionally made onMondays withsmall red beans,vegetables (bell pepper, onion, and celery),spices (thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf), andpork bones as left over fromSunday dinner, cooked together slowly in a pot and served overrice.[1] Meats such as ham, sausage (most commonlyandouille), andtasso ham are also frequently used in the dish. The dish is customary – ham was traditionally a Sunday meal and Monday was washday. A pot of beans could sit on the stove and simmer while the women were busy scrubbing clothes. The dish is a form ofrice and beans, and is now fairly common throughout the Southeast. Similar dishes are cooked throughout Central America, parts of South America, and the Caribbean, and are dietary staples. Examples aregallo pinto,moros y cristianos,feijoada, casamiento, andarroz con habichuelas. A similarvegetarian dishrajma chawal[2] (which translates literally tored beans and rice) is popular in NorthIndia.
When theHaitian Revolution ended and theFirst Empire of Haiti was established in 1804, thousands of refugees from the revolution, both whites and free people of color (affranchis or gens de couleur libres), fled toNew Orleans, often bringing African slaves with them, doubling the city's population. They also introduced such Haitian specialties as the red beans and rice andChayote (or called mirliton; a pear-shaped vegetable) to the Louisiana Creole cuisine.
Red beans and rice is one of the few New Orleans-style dishes to be commonly served both in people's homes and in restaurants. Many neighborhood restaurants and even schools continue to serve it as a Monday lunch or dinner special, usually with a side order of cornbread and either smoked sausage or a pork chop. While Monday washdays are largely historical, red beans remain a staple for large gatherings such as Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties. New Orleanian musicianLouis Armstrong's favorite food was red beans and rice, and he would sign letters "Red Beans and Ricely Yours, Louis Armstrong".[3]
| |
| See also | |
| Ingredients |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Methods | ||
| Dishes | ||
| Chefs | ||
| See also | ||
