Cajun cuisine is the home cooking of southern Louisiana
Cajun cuisine refers to the food culture of the Cajuns, the French-descended people who live in the American state of Louisiana.
It is plain, forceful cooking built on spice, and gumbo and jambalaya are among its best-known dishes.
YAKITORI DINER THE HICKORY BIRD Umeda, in Osaka, is a restaurant where that southern food culture meets Japanese charcoal-grilled yakitori. This article sets out what Cajun cooking actually is, and how you can taste it here.
Where the word Cajun comes from
In the 18th century, French settlers living in Acadia – in what is now eastern Canada – were driven from their homes by conflict with Britain.
They travelled south and settled in Louisiana. The word Acadian is said to have worn down over time into Cajun.
Cajun cooking, in other words, is home cooking rooted in a place: food that displaced people built from the ingredients and spices they could get hold of.
Cajun and Creole: what is the difference?
Whenever Louisiana food comes up, Creole cooking is mentioned alongside it.
Very broadly: Cajun is country home cooking, Creole is the cooking of the city of New Orleans. Creole draws on French, Spanish, African and Caribbean influences and often uses tomato, while Cajun tends to be plainer, with the spice further forward.
What both share is the Holy Trinity – onion, celery and green pepper, cooked down together as the base of a dish.
What is in Cajun spice
The face of Cajun cooking is its spice blend: cayenne, garlic, onion, black pepper, oregano and thyme, among others.
Its job is not to push heat alone, but to build layers of aroma that wake up the appetite.
We blend our own. There is a prickle of heat, but aroma is the lead. These are not dishes that leave you sweating.
The Cajun dishes you can try here
Our headline dish is Signature Cajun Chicken, finished with our own Cajun blend. For something lighter there is also Spicy Chicken.
Louisiana’s great stew appears as Gumbo / Herb Rice. The spice dissolves into a thickened broth, and with the herb rice it is satisfying as a single plate.
Spice turns up on the charcoal too. Tebasaki chicken wings come in salt, tare or Cajun, and Cajun-Spiced Grilled Prawns go well with a drink.
To go alongside, try Texas Caviar – beans and vegetables marinated together – or our faintly sweet House-made Cornbread. All 52 dishes are listed on the a la carte menu.
Why yakitori and Cajun?
It may look like an unlikely pairing.
But charcoal grilling and the barbecue culture of the American South rest on the same idea: that fire and smoke make meat taste better. Making our tare in a BBQ-sauce style is simply us saying that out loud.
Banshu Akadori, a branded free-range chicken from Banshu in Hyogo, grilled over charcoal, with southern spice laid over it. The menu runs to more than 100 items.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cajun cuisine?
It is the home cooking of the Cajuns, the French-descended people of Louisiana in the American South. It is plain and forceful, built on spice, and gumbo and jambalaya are typical dishes.
How does it differ from Creole cooking?
Cajun is country home cooking; Creole is the cooking of New Orleans. Creole often uses tomato, while Cajun is plainer with the spice further forward.
Is Cajun food spicy?
There is a kick, but the lead is aroma rather than heat. We use our own blend and do not rely on heat alone.
What kind of dish is gumbo?
It is the signature stew of New Orleans, Louisiana – a thickened broth carrying the aroma of spice. We serve it with herb rice.
Can I enjoy the menu if I am not good with spice?
Yes. We have plenty of yakitori and a la carte dishes made without spice. Just tell us when you order.
Restaurant information and reservations
YAKITORI DINER THE HICKORY BIRD Umeda
Address: 1-8 Banzaicho, Kita-ku, Osaka, EH-UMEDA08 Room 102
Access: 3 min walk from Nakazakicho Stn (Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line) / 10 min from JR Osaka Stn
Open: 17:30-23:00 (L.O. 22:30)
Closed: Sundays
Seats: 20 (10 at the counter, a private room for 4, a private room for 6, and a mezzanine tatami area / entirely non-smoking)
Reservations: 070-8945-5892
