Gumbo is the Louisiana dish that combines meat or seafood with vegetables in a seasoned stew.
Common gumbo ingredients include the “holy trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery, along with stock, okra, meat, seafood, or sausage. A roux or another thickener may give the dish body. Regional recipes differ, and no single ingredient defines every gumbo.
Gumbo reflects Louisiana’s African, French, Spanish, Native American, and Caribbean influences. Its name is commonly connected to words for okra, while filé powder reflects Choctaw culinary knowledge.
Gumbo is often confused with jambalaya. Gumbo is a stew usually served with rice separately; jambalaya is a rice dish in which the rice cooks with the other ingredients.