Holy trinity (cuisine)
The holy trinity, Cajun holy trinity, or holy trinity of Cajun cooking are onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic, forming the base for much of the cooking in the regional cuisines of Louisiana. Without garlic it is simply "the trinity". The preparation of Cajun/Creole dishes such as étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from this base.
Variants use garlic, parsley, or shallots in addition to the three trinity ingredients.[1] The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix, which is 2 parts onions, 1 part carrots, and 1 part celery.
Origin of the name
The name is an allusion to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Louisiana is a strongly Roman Catholic region.
The term is first attested in 1981[2] and was probably popularized by Paul Prudhomme.[3]
In other cuisines
The term has occasionally been used to describe various other triples of important ingredients in a variety of cuisines.
See also
- Mirepoix
- Soffritto
References
- ↑ Patricia Perrine, "Louisiana French Foodways: The Perpetuation of Ethnicity in the Lafourche Area", North American Culture 2:7 (1985) Google Books
- ↑ Craig Claiborne, "Claiborne Shares 'Catfish Memories'", Florence Times, November 26, 1981, p. 20 Google News
- ↑ Craig Claiborne, A feast made for laughter, 1982, p. 30 Google Books
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