For whom the bell grows

By V. Todd Miller on Thursday, May 27, 2021
A brief history of the Cajun holy trinity
Onions, celery and bell peppers comprise the “holy trinity” of Louisiana cuisine. (Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)
Onions, celery and bell peppers comprise the “holy trinity” of Louisiana cuisine. (Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

BATON ROUGE — The Cajun “holy trinity” is at the heart of Louisiana cuisine. The union of onions, celery and green bell peppers create the base flavors of gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee and numerous other hearty dishes that have come to define our state.

But from where did the term holy trinity derive, and how does it differ from other regional soup, sauce and stew bases? The key is the bell pepper.

The…