Loyola University New Orleans professor and historian Justin A. Nystrom wrote book that explores how generations of Sicilian immigrants flavored Louisiana Creole cuisine. “This is a story that has needed to be told for a long time," Nystrom says. “I think that right now as a city, we are in a historical moment where New Orleans wants to tell a more inclusive version of its past, and this book contributes to that goal.”
"In Creole Italian, Nystrom explores the influence Sicilian immigrants have had on New Orleans food culture. Each chapter touches on events that involved Sicilian immigrants and the relevance of their lives and impact on New Orleans. Sicilian immigrants cut sugarcane, sold groceries, ran truck farms, operated bars and restaurants, and manufactured pasta. Citing these cultural confluences, Nystrom posits that the significance of Sicilian influence on New Orleans foodways traditionally has been undervalued and instead should be included, along with African, French, and Spanish cuisine, in the broad definition of “creole.”
Justin A. Nystrom, Ph.D. is an associate professor of history at Loyola University New Orleans and director of the Center for the Study of New Orleans.
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