this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2026
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Humanity is lucky there isn't a "Florida style" used nation wide.
That’s just meth.
Ok well no, it is not just meth. We can make fun of it without needing to make things up. Geez.
It's meth, and pepperoni. It's meth and hot wings. Meth with chicken and ranch. It's a whole lot of things. Not just meth!
With swampy gator sausage
Mmm, fried gator tail.
Yet somehow it's the best gumbo you've ever had.
I never quite figured out what Gumbo actually is, but I did have gator and fries in Texas once. It was alright. Nice herb and spice blend, a good sauce, and tasted like a bit richer chicken with a hint of flavor that resembled the smell one of my cats bring back from the forest sometimes.
Gumbo is a soup that is thickened with dark roux, and usually contains okra (also a thickener). I say "usually" because I understand some people omit okra or make filé gumbos or what have you. The word "gumbo" comes from the word for okra in various West African languages.
The choice of meats, proteins, and other ingredients is arbitrary. Throw in whatever you've got. More kinds of stuff is usually better. Chicken, sausage, and seafood are popular.
Gumbo typically has one of the three thickeners - being okra, gumbo filé, or roux. Although some gumbos might have more than one of those.
It's also worth nothing that there are two cuisines in southern Louisiana of note: Cajun, and Creole. Although all of these topics are very complex, I would simplify those two to say that Cajun tends to be country and Creole tends to be city.
A Cajun gumbo is more typically a dark roux, trinity (diced onion, bell pepper, celery), usually sausage, andouille being most popular, either chicken or seafood but sometimes both, and various herbs and spices.
A Creole gumbo tends to add okra, might skip the roux, often adds some lemon and basil, and often diced tomato. My family's recipe didn't have roux and used kielbasa and chicken breast for the proteins. My version includes roux (retaining the okra) and uses kielbasa and chicken thighs.
Gumbo should be served over rice.
I'm trying to give a bit more info while steering clear of arguments. Everybody has their own gumbo recipes, and I will absolutely eat the fuck out of any of them at least once, and probably many times :)
So again, adding on to the comment to which I'm replying, not disagreeing! :)
I grew up in Florida. "Florida style" is just Cuban and sea food. The only quintessentially Florida thing I ever ate in Florida was fried gator. God I miss Cuban food.
I tried fried Gatorade the other day. Better than chicken!
I miss fried Gator. So good!
Would key lime pie be quintessentially Floridian?
Oh, that's a good one! Honestly I forgot key limes are a Florida thing, having lived all over the U.S. I've never experienced any issues getting my hands on key limes or their pie, so they're definitely available and popular nationwide. I can go grab both from my local Safeway on the complete opposite end of the country.
That reminds me that oranges used to be THE Florida thing as well, before citrus canker wiped them out in the 90s. Now all Florida Orange Juice^TM is from California.
I still have yet to find orange juice with extra pulp anywhere else in the country. Its hard to find it with normal amounts even.