Creoles, KREE ohlz, in North or South America, are people whose ancestors were early French or Spanish settlers of the New World. The word Creole comes from the Spanish word criollo, meaning native to the place. The term also refers to Creole foods and other aspects of Creole culture. In the United States, a Creole is a descendant of early settlers of the Gulf States who may be any combination of African, French, Native American, and Spanish ancestry. Many Creoles speak a form of French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Creole foods include gumbo, a kind of soup; and pralines, a candy. See also Cable, George Washington; New Orleans.