MawMaw’s Dutch Oven and the Cajun Story of Filé & Okra

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back, y’all, to Cornbread & Buttermilk. Tonight, we’re lifting the lid on a pot that’s been simmering for centuries — a Cajun gumbo, thick with history and flavored by tradition. We’ll trace the story of sassafras leaves, once brewed by Native Americans and carried into Cajun kitchens as filé powder, thickening gumbo with a touch of earth and memory. We’ll stir in okra, the African-born pod that crossed oceans to become another soul of this dish. And of course, we...