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Delicious Mardi Gras Appetizers and Snacks
"Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday" and the exact date of this holiday varies from city to city around the world, although it is usually just before Lent. A lot of Christians give up eating meat for Lent and also a favorite habit, food or drink.
Mardi Gras is the last day to enjoy the forbidden food, drink, or habit before the forty six days of abstinence. Mardi Gras began in the late 1800s and came to the United States with the French settlers. The holiday is known all over the world today but the residents of New Orleans in Louisiana are especially famous for their vibrant and colorful Mardi Gras parades and celebrations.
Typical Creole and Cajun Appetizers
Creole appetizers and Cajun appetizers are great easy party appetizers for Mardi Gras and New Orleans is famed for these dishes. A lot of people confused Creole and Cajun food. Technically Creole food is more sophisticated and Cajun food can be compared to country cooking, but the two cuisines have intermingled to an extent and both styles are really flavorful and well suited to the occasion.
If you enjoy seafood appetizers, you will be happy to learn that a lot of famous Mardi Gras appetizers contain crayfish. Also known as crawfish and crawdads, this delicious seafood is popular in the south but not available everywhere. If you cannot find crayfish, you can substitute shrimp in most crayfish Mardi Gras appetizers, and the end flavor and texture will be very similar.
Crayfish recipes include beer and coconut fried crayfish, Creole spiced crayfish, and crayfish-stuffed artichokes. Crab cakes are another good Mardi Gras option. Famous Creole and Cajun dishes like jambalaya and gumbo can be make in small portions as appetizers and you can also make these if you are having a buffet.
Other Appetizers for Mardi Gras
Not everybody will want seafood appetizers or shrimp appetizers, so make some spinach and cheese balls or sautéed mushrooms too. Pancakes are popular at Mardi Gras and you can offer jelly or meat fillings so your guests can make their own appetizer pancakes up. Cornbread is popular too and there are some easy party appetizer recipes for this tasty snack.
More options include shrimp and cheese canapés, candied yams, fettuccine with shrimp, slices of crayfish pie and chips with a chili dip. Cajun cooking methods include smoking, grilling, deep frying and stewing and popular ingredients include bell peppers, rice, tomatoes, cayenne pepper and sweet potatoes so incorporate these in your Mardi Gras appetizers too, for authenticity.
Tips for Mardi Gras Appetizer Recipes
If you have a lot of Mardi Gras recipes to make, you might like to look out for cornbread, Tabasco sauce, southwest style sausage, and frozen seafood pies, which are all typical Cajun foods and can supplement your own Mardi Gras appetizers.
You can also get Cajun spice blends at specialty shops and gourmet stores to use in recipes instead of regular herbs, to add a Cajun flavor. A lot of Mardi Gras appetizers are spicy, so make sure you have plenty of drinks available for your guests.
Whether you are celebrating in the French Quarter or trying to bring some Louisiana party atmosphere into your home, making some of these delicious authentic Mardi Gras appetizers will definitely do the trick. Mardi Gras is about delicious food and making the best appetizers for the occasion will make your party a great success.
