Boy it’s been a while …
 
Being from Acadiana (St. Martinville, to be exact) I have had my share of gumbo.  Every few miles you move north, south, east or west you get a different version.
 
I grew up on gumbo that had a soup consistency (My grandmothers’ and my mom’s).  My wife, from Mamou, grew up on gumbo that was almost stew-like.  I’ve eaten gumbo so thin (especially the seafood kind) that you needed the rice just to keep it on the spoon.  I’ve also eaten gumbo so thick that a spoon literally stood up in it.
 
Besides the thickness, you have your choice of thickeners (roux, okra for file’).  And even with each of these you have a choice of combinations.
 
The one thing that I feel kept traditional gumbo similar was the use of simple (ie cheap!) ingrediants and the ability to stretch a meal further than it was meant to be.
 
cy
 
Gumbo is unique.