New Orleans cuisine is the regional cooking of New Orleans, Louisiana, blending French, Spanish, West African, and Native American influences shaped by the city's founding in the early 18th century and its location on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico.
Most dishes start with the 'holy trinity' of onion, bell pepper, and celery, often built into a roux (cooked fat and flour) and seasoned with Cajun and Creole spice blends. This base underlies the city's signature dishes: gumbo (a stew-like dish made with a dark roux and chicken, sausage, or seafood), jambalaya (a one-pot rice dish with meat, seafood, and vegetables), and étouffée (shellfish smothered in a thick sauce).
Beyond these, the cuisine includes po' boys, muffulettas, and beignets, along with a strong café and cocktail culture (chicory coffee, the Sazerac). It's worth distinguishing Cajun cooking (rural, French-Acadian, rustic) from Creole cooking (urban New Orleans, more refined, drawing on French and Spanish technique); both feed into what's broadly called New Orleans cuisine.