Gumbo is a gift from Louisiana to American cooking.

Especially popular in the South, this Creole and Cajun dish is made from rich stock, meat and/or shellfish, the so-called "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers and onion, and thickened with okra, filé powder or roux, depending on where the cook stands on the matter.

This one-pot dish was inspired by French bouillabaisse and dates from the 18th century. Gumbo often contains some mixture of chicken, duck, quail, smoked pork like tasso or andouille, crawfish, crab, and/or shrimp. Recipes vary according to the cook; Creole gumbos tend to use a slightly paler roux and sometimes contain tomatoes, unlike Cajun gumbos, which never do.