Cajun Glossary

Ever heard a Cajun talk? There are Cajun words that we say that other people may not understand! Here’s a little glossary to help broaden your horizon:

This was created to explain some of the terms/phrases that appear in some of my posts that people around the country or world may not know or have even heard of! I will add more as I write more posts and come across more terms/phrases. If there is anything you may want me to add, please comment!

Bayou \buy’-yoo\ – Pretty much, bayous are just extensions of larger bodies of water, and they do each have their own names – for example, Bayou Terrebonne. Down-the-bayou refers to any area here that is more south than where you are. Up-the-bayou refers to exactly the opposite. When you live down-the-bayou, you live very close to water and/or the very south most parts of the Louisiana swamps, and your house may be raised above the land to prevent flooding.

Boudé \boo-day\ – a sad face, grim face, or depressed expression of the face.

Coullion \coo’-yawn\ – When someone is called a coullion, it’s equivalent to lightheartedly calling them “silly” or “foolish.” We use it jokingly in conversation, but in older times, it was a serious word for calling someone a fool.

Griade – \grrree’-yod\ – I totally made up the spelling of this word. This is a word that we use often to describe the sediment left at the bottom of the pot when you cook meat or veggies. When the food cooks and sticks to the bottom of the pot, there is a dark-brown sediment that forms, and is “de-glazed” with either water, broth, or wine to create a gravy. I couldn’t find this word anywhere on the internet or the library. Therefore, you have a true, original Cajun word added to your vocabulary!

Tony’s – Tony Chachere’s \sa’-shrees\ – Anytime a Cajun says that they season their food with “Tony’s,” this is what they are referring to! It’s a seasoned salt that you will find in every kitchen down here. If they don’t have Tony’s, they either have Season-All, Zatarain’s Seasoned Salt, Slap Ya Mama, or some other kind of spicy seasoned salt that we use on just about everything we cook! But when we say “Tony’s,” we are referring to pretty much any seasoned salt, since it is the most popular. We don’t just add salt and pepper to our food, we add Tony’s along with it. If you want it more spicy and more salty, add more Tony’s!