Discover 5 of Louisiana's most iconic dishes
Being so uniquely Louisianan, the world-class dishes created in this Southern state are nearly impossible to define simply as American. The cuisine here reflects a varied tapestry of cultures, with the influence of France, Spain, West Africa, the Caribbean, Germany, Italy and Native Americans woven into its distinct recipes. In the west, you have Cajun country, an area populated by Acadians originally from French-speaking Canada. In the north, Southern-style home cooking is the order of the day. Then, there's the Creole influence in the lively city of New Orleans. Wherever you head, many dishes are dominated by a slow-cooked roux, and the 'holy trinity', a mixture of onions, peppers and celery — Louisiana's answer to the mirepoix (a base of diced vegetables). Discover this and much more of the Bayou State's cuisine at its absolute best by sampling five of its standout dishes.
Gumbo is Louisiana encapsulated in a single dish, a cultural melting pot in which Gallic, Spanish, Choctaw, West African, Caribbean and Southern culinary traditions collide. The most familiar gumbos are made with seafood as well as chicken and sausage, but, in reality, recipes vary across the state. When it comes to preparing the dish, a few points of contention exist. Some people use tomatoes in their recipe, whereas others consider that sacrilege. Some gumbos are thickened with okra, and others use filé (a spicy herb seasoning). Then, there are chefs who swear by a dark chocolate-coloured roux versus those who favour a lighter colour. Depending on where you're visiting, gumbo may be a dressed-up soup with shrimp, sausage, crab and tomato (like in Creole-influenced New Orleans) or a heartier, gravy-thick stew made with game birds, seafood and certainly no tomato (found in the Cajun Acadiana region). Nobody agrees about the one true way to cook this dish, but every Louisianan will agree that a piping hot bowl of gumbo is one of life's most cherished pleasures.
Where to try it: Rachel's Cafe in Lafayette serves up delectable Cajun-style gumbo. In New Orleans, for haute renditions of the dish, head to institutions like Pêche and Commander's Palace.
The twangy Deep South cousin to its ancestors, Spanish paella and West African jollof rice, jambalaya is a hearty, comforting combination of thick and creamy rice stewed with meat, seafood and vegetables. It's a dish that's often cooked in massive proportions for celebrations and communal gatherings. Like many of the state's signature foods, views on what constitutes a proper jambalaya depend on where you're from, as there are hundreds of variations, with home cooks liable to voraciously defend their own preferred method. Cajun jambalaya is known for its bold, spicy flavour with no tomatoes. The New Orleans 'red jambalaya', on the other hand, includes tomatoes and is primarily found in and around the city. Almost every iteration, though, will begin with a golden brown roux and the holy trinity, and, for most people, hot sauce is also a necessity.
Where to try it: The Jambalaya Shoppe in Baton Rouge serves up solid, spicy Cajun renditions of the dish. There's also Evangeline in New Orleans, Marilynn's Place in Shreveport and Johnson's Boucanière in Lafayette.
The UK has the toastie. In Vietnam, it's the bánh mì. In Louisiana, the po' boy reigns supreme. Essentially a sandwich of infinite possibilities, the po' boy is a New Orleans original, created in 1929 by two deli-owning brothers. To feed picketing streetcar workers, the brothers would fill up baguettes with pot-roast scraps. 'Here comes another poor boy', the picketers would say to the chefs when requesting a sandwich. 'Poor boy' was shortened to 'po' boy', and it's stuck ever since. Nowadays, the most popular variations of the sandwich (almost all require a crunchy baguette, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo) feature fried shrimp, oysters, roast beef or catfish. There are, of course, more eclectic versions containing alligator, or boudin (a type of sausage), which should also be on your culinary checklist.
Where to try it: Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette is an old-school, no-frills, counter-service deli dishing out some of the best po' boys around. In New Orleans, both Parkway Bakery and Domicile's Po' Boy are local institutions, the former specialising in a roast beef po' boy and the latter a shrimp variation.
They say that Cajun food without crawfish (crayfish) is like French food without butter, and there's arguably no better way to consume the beloved crustacean than in crawfish étouffée (meaning 'smothered' in French). The creamy stew consists of a buttery rich seafood broth, enriched with spicy, cayenne-infused seasonings, the holy trinity and succulent crawfish tails — all of which is served over rice. This dish celebrates the flavours hiding within the state's fruitful waterways. You'll find the best iterations during crawfish season (from February to mid-May) and along the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail.
Where to try it: In New Orleans, test out the old-school Cajun kitchen at The Bon Ton Cafe. Or head to Boudreau & Thibodeau's Cajun Cookin', a homely joint in Houma.
Monday night in Louisiana means one thing — red beans and rice for dinner. The dish has been a staple across the state for centuries; legend has it that its popularity derives more from necessity than culinary tradition. Historically, Louisianians would cook up a ham on Sunday nights. Monday was typically laundry day, so, amid the washing, home cooks would reuse the ham bone and slow-cook it in red beans along with the holy trinity, cayenne and leftover bits of ham and sausage. The consistency of the resulting red beans is that of a creamy soup (with soft bean chunks), and it's served atop white rice. Today, the beloved comfort food has made its way beyond the back burner at home and into the state's most famous kitchens.
Where to try it: This dish is the Monday special at Lil' Dizzys in New Orleans. The beans are simmered all day and you can incorporate smoked sausage, a tender pork chop or Cajun-fried chicken.
This paid content article was created for Explore Louisiana. It does not necessarily reflect the views of National Geographic, National Geographic Traveller (UK) or their editorial staffs. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) click here. (Available in select countries only).
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San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sweat, tears, devotion: Pilgrims cross the wilderness to honor the Rocío Virgin in Spain
EL ROCIO, Spain (AP) — Their faces, hats and flamenco dresses caked in dust, hundreds of pilgrims gathered around an ox-driven carriage with their icon of the Virgin Mary after slogging on foot, horses and wagons through dirt roads for nearly 12 hours. The festive flamenco music stopped, the ubiquitous beer bottles and wine glasses were put down, and the Catholic faithful prayed an evening rosary by pine trees in the wilderness a few miles from the hamlet of El Rocío. 'One can drink and hang out. Our best friends are here. But it's essential to pray,' said Meme Morales, who's been doing this pilgrimage since the early 1990s, this year with her two grown daughters. 'The Virgin is something that forms part of our life.' Venerating the Rocío Virgin has been a tradition since the main icon was discovered near this village in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia around the end of the 13th century. It has grown into one of world's largest, most unique Catholic pilgrimages. For days before Pentecost weekend, about a million people do the 'romería del Rocío' in swirling clouds of dust that's as pervasive and natural as the faithful's devotion. Feast and faith as pilgrims make their way It looks like a rolling, wild party, even among the religious brotherhoods, more than 130 of whom participate, taking different paths from around the region and as distant as Brussels. Morales' group is the Triana brotherhood. From when they break camp around dawn until well into the night, they sing flamenco songs, many specific to each brotherhood — accompanied by guitar and rhythmic clapping. Homemade food and copious amounts of water, beer and sherry are shared with friends and strangers alike. But there are prayers at every break along the country paths, priests to hear confession at day's end, conversations about the pope, mission trips and social outreach, even solemn Masses in the fields. 'Without that, this wouldn't make any sense. It would be a picnic,' said Patricia Rodríguez Galinier, who oversees liturgical celebrations for the Triana brotherhood. Based in a neighborhood by the same name in Seville, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away, it's one of the largest and oldest, founded more than 200 years ago. Rodríguez had just helped set up Mass by the Triana 'simpecado' — meaning 'without sin.' It refers to their version of the icon of the Virgin, carried by an ox-driven cart covered in silver and fresh flowers. At each night's camp, wagons are set in a circle and people gather to worship through the night. With the oxen tied to small trees and some riders still on horses in the 90-degree weather (33 Celsius), more than 700 faithful listened to the homily by their spiritual director, the Rev. Manuel Sánchez. He quoted Pope Leo XIV 's first public words about God's love for everyone — adding, to laughter, that love included those at that moment receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation behind the wagon still grasping their beer bottles. 'There's a profound sense of spontaneity in El Rocío … just like in the Gospel when Jesus goes to have dinner with folks,' Sánchez said later. 'We have a lot of time to come to God crying in life, but that's not El Rocío.' One reason for the pilgrimage's down-to-earth nature is El Rocío's location, in the wetlands and sand dunes of the Guadalquivir River's estuary, said Juan Carlos González Faraco, a University of Huelva professor who has studied the pilgrimage. Until the last few decades, when large-scale greenhouse farming and natural protected areas have taken over, it was a malaria-prone wilderness frequented mostly by cattle and horse ranchers. That's allowed the centuries-old pilgrimage tradition to continue without the strictness of other places of devotion to Mary. It has stayed in the hands of the brotherhoods instead of the institutional church, said González. He's a member of the main brotherhood from Almonte, the closest town to the sanctuary that manages its white church filled with golden images and orange sand from the pilgrims' footsteps. Its president, Santiago Padilla, spent hours at the sanctuary's doors Saturday, solemnly welcoming each brotherhood as they arrived. 'They come laden with intentions, supplications, prayers. And it's the moment we shake their hands, we hug and we give thanks to the Virgin for this pilgrimage they made,' said Padilla, whose family has been pilgrims for generations. A return to countryside roots Padilla wore an impeccably white jacket and formal riding kit, like many members of the brotherhoods who do the pilgrimage on horseback. Women wear shawls and long, flaring dresses or skirts — to better ride sideways on horses and protect themselves from the brush and the sun. Such outfits might look like Spanish stereotypes, but they pay homage to the working traditions of many families from the area. 'Everything that has a good presence takes us a bit closer to God,' said Ignacio Sabater Wasaldúa, the Triana brotherhood leader. He rode horses this year alongside his son, helping lead the dozens of wagons and thousands of pilgrims on foot. The brotherhoods stress that their commitment to Christian life transcends one yearly pilgrimage — though it draws inspiration from it and they wouldn't consider missing it. 'El Rocío should be a model for society, with affection and solidarity,' Sabater said. Triana, for instance, maintains a chapel with daily Masses and brings nearly 200 youth from marginalized backgrounds to the brotherhood's house in El Rocío for a summer camp. 'I'm a rociera the whole year,' said Macarena Ruíz, who started participating in the late 1980s and whose three children are camp counselors. Despite Spain's growing secularization, youth remain involved in the pilgrimage, whether to maintain a family tradition, make new friends or live out their faith. This year, Triana's youth group organized Eucharistic adoration late into the second night at camp. 'That's the assurance that this will not be lost,' said Esperanza García Rivero, whose grandfather took his wagon on the pilgrimage in the 1940s. Sweat and tears before Mary, mother of God Hidden beneath the traditions and the festivities, many pilgrims are motivated by promises they made to the Virgin. After a double mastectomy for breast cancer, Paloma Maria had a large Mary tattoo designed between her shoulders. 'It's her who takes care of me. My Rocío Virgin is everything for me,' said the young woman from Cordoba. Maria Mendoza also came to give thanks when, together with García and her close Triana friends, she walked into the sanctuary Saturday after the brotherhood was formally received in front of it. More pilgrimage events awaited, culminating in Sunday night's final procession of the Rocío icon to visit every brotherhood in town. It's a massive scrum that lasts hours, after which the faithful make their long return journeys, on foot, horses and carts. But this was the first moment when the women were finally face to face with their Virgin. Tears quickly mixed with sweat and dust on their faces. 'So many thoughts swirling, for you, for your friends … it's just an explosion,' Sara de la Haza whispered. Then someone in the crowd intoned the Triana's salute to the Virgin. The friends wiped their eyes and started joyfully singing — 'You are the white dove, you are what I've loved the most since the day I was born.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sweat, tears, devotion: Pilgrims cross the wilderness to honor the Rocío Virgin in Spain
EL ROCIO, Spain (AP) — Their faces, hats and flamenco dresses caked in dust, hundreds of pilgrims gathered around an ox-driven carriage with their icon of the Virgin Mary after slogging on foot, horses and wagons through dirt roads for nearly 12 hours. The festive flamenco music stopped, the ubiquitous beer bottles and wine glasses were put down, and the Catholic faithful prayed an evening rosary by pine trees in the wilderness a few miles from the hamlet of El Rocío. 'One can drink and hang out. Our best friends are here. But it's essential to pray,' said Meme Morales, who's been doing this pilgrimage since the early 1990s, this year with her two grown daughters. 'The Virgin is something that forms part of our life.' Venerating the Rocío Virgin has been a tradition since the main icon was discovered near this village in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia around the end of the 13th century. It has grown into one of world's largest, most unique Catholic pilgrimages. For days before Pentecost weekend, about a million people do the 'romería del Rocío' in swirling clouds of dust that's as pervasive and natural as the faithful's devotion. Feast and faith as pilgrims make their way It looks like a rolling, wild party, even among the religious brotherhoods, more than 130 of whom participate, taking different paths from around the region and as distant as Brussels. Morales' group is the Triana brotherhood. From when they break camp around dawn until well into the night, they sing flamenco songs, many specific to each brotherhood — accompanied by guitar and rhythmic clapping. Homemade food and copious amounts of water, beer and sherry are shared with friends and strangers alike. But there are prayers at every break along the country paths, priests to hear confession at day's end, conversations about the pope, mission trips and social outreach, even solemn Masses in the fields. 'Without that, this wouldn't make any sense. It would be a picnic,' said Patricia Rodríguez Galinier, who oversees liturgical celebrations for the Triana brotherhood. Based in a neighborhood by the same name in Seville, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away, it's one of the largest and oldest, founded more than 200 years ago. Rodríguez had just helped set up Mass by the Triana 'simpecado' — meaning 'without sin.' It refers to their version of the icon of the Virgin, carried by an ox-driven cart covered in silver and fresh flowers. At each night's camp, wagons are set in a circle and people gather to worship through the night. With the oxen tied to small trees and some riders still on horses in the 90-degree weather (33 Celsius), more than 700 faithful listened to the homily by their spiritual director, the Rev. Manuel Sánchez. He quoted Pope Leo XIV 's first public words about God's love for everyone — adding, to laughter, that love included those at that moment receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation behind the wagon still grasping their beer bottles. 'There's a profound sense of spontaneity in El Rocío … just like in the Gospel when Jesus goes to have dinner with folks,' Sánchez said later. 'We have a lot of time to come to God crying in life, but that's not El Rocío.' Popular devotion rooted in a place at the margins One reason for the pilgrimage's down-to-earth nature is El Rocío's location, in the wetlands and sand dunes of the Guadalquivir River's estuary, said Juan Carlos González Faraco, a University of Huelva professor who has studied the pilgrimage. Until the last few decades, when large-scale greenhouse farming and natural protected areas have taken over, it was a malaria-prone wilderness frequented mostly by cattle and horse ranchers. That's allowed the centuries-old pilgrimage tradition to continue without the strictness of other places of devotion to Mary. It has stayed in the hands of the brotherhoods instead of the institutional church, said González. He's a member of the main brotherhood from Almonte, the closest town to the sanctuary that manages its white church filled with golden images and orange sand from the pilgrims' footsteps. Its president, Santiago Padilla, spent hours at the sanctuary's doors Saturday, solemnly welcoming each brotherhood as they arrived. 'They come laden with intentions, supplications, prayers. And it's the moment we shake their hands, we hug and we give thanks to the Virgin for this pilgrimage they made,' said Padilla, whose family has been pilgrims for generations. A return to countryside roots Padilla wore an impeccably white jacket and formal riding kit, like many members of the brotherhoods who do the pilgrimage on horseback. Women wear shawls and long, flaring dresses or skirts — to better ride sideways on horses and protect themselves from the brush and the sun. Such outfits might look like Spanish stereotypes, but they pay homage to the working traditions of many families from the area. 'Everything that has a good presence takes us a bit closer to God,' said Ignacio Sabater Wasaldúa, the Triana brotherhood leader. He rode horses this year alongside his son, helping lead the dozens of wagons and thousands of pilgrims on foot. The brotherhoods stress that their commitment to Christian life transcends one yearly pilgrimage — though it draws inspiration from it and they wouldn't consider missing it. 'El Rocío should be a model for society, with affection and solidarity,' Sabater said. Triana, for instance, maintains a chapel with daily Masses and brings nearly 200 youth from marginalized backgrounds to the brotherhood's house in El Rocío for a summer camp. 'I'm a rociera the whole year,' said Macarena Ruíz, who started participating in the late 1980s and whose three children are camp counselors. Despite Spain's growing secularization, youth remain involved in the pilgrimage, whether to maintain a family tradition, make new friends or live out their faith. This year, Triana's youth group organized Eucharistic adoration late into the second night at camp. 'That's the assurance that this will not be lost,' said Esperanza García Rivero, whose grandfather took his wagon on the pilgrimage in the 1940s. Sweat and tears before Mary, mother of God Hidden beneath the traditions and the festivities, many pilgrims are motivated by promises they made to the Virgin. After a double mastectomy for breast cancer, Paloma Maria had a large Mary tattoo designed between her shoulders. 'It's her who takes care of me. My Rocío Virgin is everything for me,' said the young woman from Cordoba. Maria Mendoza also came to give thanks when, together with García and her close Triana friends, she walked into the sanctuary Saturday after the brotherhood was formally received in front of it. More pilgrimage events awaited, culminating in Sunday night's final procession of the Rocío icon to visit every brotherhood in town. It's a massive scrum that lasts hours, after which the faithful make their long return journeys, on foot, horses and carts. But this was the first moment when the women were finally face to face with their Virgin. Tears quickly mixed with sweat and dust on their faces. 'So many thoughts swirling, for you, for your friends … it's just an explosion,' Sara de la Haza whispered. Then someone in the crowd intoned the Triana's salute to the Virgin. The friends wiped their eyes and started joyfully singing — 'You are the white dove, you are what I've loved the most since the day I was born.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mississippi Aquarium beaver billboards show similarities with new Buc-ee's opening soon
Buc-ee isn't the only beaver flashing motorists on the interstate these days. A new billboard by the Mississippi Aquarium is putting one of its animals in the spotlight, taking its cue from the billboards advertising the new Buc-ee's Travel Center opening Monday, June 9, in Pass Christian. Buc-ee is the beaver mascot for the Texas-based company. The Aquarium used its own beavers as models for billboards on Coast highways that remind motorists to visit the family-friendly venue. "We heard you like beavers. (And clean bathrooms.)," one billboard reads. It, too, is a nod to Buc-ee's, which prides itself on clean restrooms. Another Aquarium billboard says, "We've got beavers, too." "We have quite a bit of different animals here," Aquarium spokeswoman Nicole Martz said in a phone interview. "We pride ourselves on all that we have to offer. We brainstormed a bit and thought it would be a great way to showcase these guys and also show a bit of Southern hospitality — and make people smile." Your questions answered: How big is the new MS Buc-ee's? When does it open? How many gas pumps, electric chargers? It started off with the Aquarium planning its next advertising campaign, to keep things fresh while attracting new and repeat visitors. From there, it grew into a spotlight on beavers and a nod to the new business, expected to bring thousands of new visitors stopping in Mississippi to check out the travel center. "We were thinking about how to keep things fresh and showcase some of our offerings, so we were looking at what animals might not get as much sunshine as they could," Aquarium spokeswoman Nicole Martz said in a phone interview. "The beavers came to mind because they are one of the first things you see when you come into the aquarium. People kind of gravitate towards them." Elvis, B.B. and King, as they are called, are curious critters, native to Mississippi, like the musicians they are named for, Martz said. "They are so adorable," she said. "They are so charismatic and they have their own personalities. They love to learn new things, and they are so much fun to watch." Here's what happened: Mississippi Aquarium releases 10 Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. Scott Gregory, general manager for Lamar Advertising, said his company works with the Aquarium to get their billboards in strategic locations and make sure the artwork is going to hold up among other things. He said the Aquarium team's creativity is impressive. "We've gotten a lot of positive feedback from that, but really, it's thanks to them," Gregory said. "They are really creative with their design and everything that's going on, right on top of Buc-ee's coming in. They knocked it out of the park with that." "There's definitely lots of buzz in the area," Martz said. "We're all about Southern hospitality and community. We wanted to make people smile and get people talking." Gregory said he enjoys how the Aquarium is using billboards to playfully promote their animals and events. We asked the Aquarium if Elvis, B.B. and King would be attending the grand opening at Buc-ee's as special guests to the travel center's mascot. It seems they will be giving it a miss this time around. "Well, they do like to chew things, as beavers do, so I don't know if they chewed up their invitations, but we're definitely cheering everybody on over here," Martz said. Lici Beveridge is a reporter for the Hattiesburg American and Clarion Ledger. Contact her at lbeveridge@ Follow her on X @licibev or Facebook at This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Aquarium makes play on new Buc-ee's opening with billboards
