NPR Podcast Submission by Brian Le published on 2021-01-31T19:04:30Z In this one time episode for the NPR podcast challenge, I explore the story of Vietnamese Cajun cuisine and how it affects culture and food as we know it today. If you would like to listen to more, check out my podcast, A Think Or Two on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere you get your podcasts! Genre Storytelling Comment by Madelyn Boudreaux Great podcast, Brian! As a Cajun, Creole, and Anglo Louisiana native, I do love crawfish. I have also had Vietnamese crawfish - but only in my adopted state of Utah. Honestly, I didn't loved it - not because of the method of cooking, but because I am a bit of a crawfish snob, and the crawfish here are small and kind of bland. If they'd been Louisiana crawfish, I'd have loved it! Back home, I always tossed any leftover crawfish tails with garlic butter and herbs, so I don't think it's weird at all. I've also had Swedish crawfish - served cold, with dill. I like that a little less. The dill was okay, but cold crawfish might have been a bridge too far! Cajuns think we invented crawfish, which is emphatically not true. And as for Vietnamese cuisine, the first time I had it, I instantly recognized it as a cultural cousin to Cajun food. We share the water-based lifestyle and the French influence. My grandmother would have loved the catfish in a clay pot dish! 2021-03-30T16:56:38Z
