The Big Easy has always been a place of contradictions: a city of sin and a city of saints, of jazz and blues and of Mardi Gras and Carnival.
It's a place where African American, French, Spanish and Caribbean cultures have all mixed together to create a unique and vibrant city. Founded in 1718 by the French, New Orleans was ruled by the Spanish for a time and has always been a melting pot of cultures. Today, that diversity is most evident in the city's food and music.
New Orleans is famous for its Creole and Cajun cuisine, which is a mix of French, Spanish, African and Caribbean flavors. You can find gumbo, jambalaya, beignets and po'boys all over the city, and the music scene is just as diverse. New Orleans is home to jazz, blues, zydeco, gospel and brass bands, and you can hear music on every street corner.
