Cajun & Creole
The Louisiana region in culinary terms is a descendent from the Louisiana purchase from the french, this area includes the Louisiana state, the Mississippi and Alabama Gulf coasts, western Florida panhandle and eastern Texas. New Orleans is a jewel in the region with a very important access to the Mississippi river.
Cuisine from this region is a direct descendent of old-school french cuisine and in the United States it was mixed and changed with heavy influence from the Afro-Caribbean flavors, Native Americans and other European influences. From this intense exchange we have two powerhouses of American cuisine, Cajun (the country, spicy, plain food) and Creole (the city fancy cooking).
The Jambalaya is a staple dish of the region, we prepare it in a very similar fashion of a Paella but the ingredients mix many different flavors with chicken, andouille sausage (or tasso) and shrimp (or other seafood you may have) adding the white rice.