Gumbo
/ˈɡʌm.boʊ/noun
A thick stew or soup, especially one associated with Louisiana cuisine.
Did you know?The name is widely thought to come from a West African word for okra, showing how enslaved Africans helped shape one of America’s most iconic dishes through language as well as cooking.
Etymological Timeline
West Africa
Bantu/West African
ki ngombo / ngombo
“okra (the plant used to thicken stews)”
18th Century
French/English
gombo
“okra; later, a stew thickened with okra”
18th-19th Century
English
gumbo
“a dish, especially in Louisiana, made with okra or filé and a rich broth”
Modern English
English
gumbo
“a hearty stew, especially in Louisiana Creole and Cajun cooking”