Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a savory Louisiana rice dish that combines meat, seafood or both with vegetables, rice and spices, developed during the colonial period from a blend of West African, Spanish and French culinary traditions, with some historians also pointing to Caribbean influence; West African cooks contributed knowledge of rice cultivation, Spanish settlers contributed paella-style technique, and French cuisine shaped the dish further. Its vegetable base typically follows the Creole and Cajun trinity of onion, celery and green bell pepper, combined with a meat such as sausage or with seafood, stock, rice and seasoning. A defining feature that separates jambalaya from related Louisiana rice dishes is that raw rice is added directly to the broth and absorbs its flavor as it cooks, rather than being cooked separately and combined afterward.