In Louisiana, you taste culture in every bite, and it is a culture you will not find anywhere else. The
Creole and Cajun people spread across Louisiana and established the foundation of a cuisine infusing
European, African, and Caribbean cooking techniques that evolved into what we see in Louisiana’s
culinary landscape today. Equal parts comfort and sophistication, seasonal ingredients and recipes
handed down for generations, every region in Louisiana has a secret recipe worth tasting. Here, life
revolves around food, and you encounter mouthwatering discoveries at every turn. As the state
celebrates its ‘Year of Food’ in 2025, seek out all the people, places, and events that make this the
world’s favourite place to eat.
Gumbo- The official dish of Louisiana, gumbo is an irresistible amalgamation of dark roux (butter or
oil mixed with flour), rice, seafood or chicken & sausage, “trinity” (a combination of onions, bell
peppers and celery) and often okra.
Where to find it: Head to Rocky and Carlo’s in Chalmette for one of the best bowls in south
Louisiana. In northeast Louisiana, Warehouse No. 1 in Monroe is your go-to spot for great seafood
gumbo. For a how-to on roux, take part in Spuddy’s Cajun Cooking Experience.
Charbroiled Oysters- Louisiana adores its oysters, prized for their tenderness and flavour.
Restaurants across the state have many variations of oyster-based dishes, but one favourite
preparation is charbroiled. The half-shell treasures are topped with a sauce of butter, garlic, and
herbs, then dusted with Pecorino Romano cheese and cooked on a grill.
Where to find it: To try the original, head to Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie or one of its
other locations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles and Bossier City. You can also savour
them along the Louisiana Oyster Trail in Jefferson Parish at stops like Acme Oyster House and
Deanie’s Seafood. In Columbia, Fontenot’s Cajun Way often features charbroiled oysters as a special,
while Don’s Seafood in Lafayette serves a version topped with bacon, jalapeños and pepper jack
cheese.
Crawfish Etouffee- It is a Creole dish of rice smothered in a stew of roux, crawfish or shrimp, herbs
and vegetables. The roux (called a “blonde roux” for its lighter colour than the kind typically used in
gumbo) is a mixture of butter and flour, mixed with celery, bell peppers and onion.
Where to find it: In New Orleans, find crawfish étouffée at Oceana Grill and Jacque-Imo’s. Outside
the city, you will find mouthwatering étouffée at The Chimes in Baton Rouge and Boudreau &
Thibodeau’s in Houma. Additionally, find crawfish étouffée and other tasty crawfish dishes all along
the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail.
Beignets- Beignets (pronounced ben-YAYs) are fluffy, deep-fried pastries tossed in generous
amounts of powdered sugar. This soft, yeasty delight is a symbol of New Orleans. Beignets are
typically served alongside a cafe au lait, and they are deliciously dipped into a vanilla-y crème
anglaise; stuffed with warm, melted chocolate; or drizzled in chocolate sauce.
Where to find it: Cafe du Monde in New Orleans serves hot and fresh beignets alongside their
famous chicory-spiced coffee while Marilynn’s Place in Shreveport is known as north Louisiana’s
preeminent beignet stop. Do not forget about Coffee Call, a Baton Rouge staple since 1976.
Jambalaya- Jambalaya is a true comfort food, most often prepared in bulk for celebrations or
communal meals. Typically, a combination of rice, chicken, andouille sausage, seafood and
vegetables make up this warm, hearty dish, similar to a Spanish paella or West African jollof rice.
This dish uses the Holy Trinity, a Cajun method of caramelizing green bell peppers, onion and celery.
Roux, a fat-and-flour-based thickening agent toasted until golden brown, lends jambalaya its
signature creaminess and depth.
Where to find it: Jambalaya Shoppe in Baton Rouge serves bowls of scratch-made jambalaya flecked
with homemade Cajun sausage while Evangeline in New Orleans serves a version with garlicky
homemade stock. Do not forget Marilynn’s Place in Shreveport, a joint famous for having perfected
the dish decades ago.
Po’boy- They are submarine-type sandwiches made with French bread. Order it “dressed” if you like
your po’boy with mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles, and tomato.
Where to find it: Throughout the state, restaurants serve many varieties of this sandwich. Mother’s
Restaurant in New Orleans serves roast beef po’boys with a type of gravy known as debris and is the
home of the original Ferdi po’boy. Chris’ Po’boys in Lafayette is among the best restaurants in south
Louisiana’s Cajun heartland to satisfy your po’boy cravings. Darrell’s in Lake Charles is famous for
serving up both the classics and innovations like the Darrell’s Special.
Boudin Balls- The Cajun equivalent of a sausage or meatball appetizer, boudin balls deliver huge
flavour. This delicious snack dates back to Middle Age French and Belgian sausage-making traditions,
which included more herbal or dairy-laden variations than what we enjoy now. The delicacy is made
by rolling a battered mix of pork, rice, onions, peppers and Cajun seasoning into breadcrumbs and
frying. The treat’s signature crunch gives way to a flavour representative of Louisiana’s diverse
culture and history.
Where to find it: NuNu’s Fresh Market in Youngsville serves up fresh boudin balls at their lunch
counter, while Johnson’s Bouchaniere serves boudin-inspired fare at their world-famous restaurant
in downtown Lafayette. Don’t overlook Chops Specialty Meats in Broussard, where you can find
crawfish- and shrimp-studded boudin, as well as other Louisiana staples, like tasso.
Praline- Praline is a sugary, buttery candy made from butter, brown sugar and pecans and cooked in
a kettle and dried on wax paper. French nuns brought these Creole treats to New Orleans in the
1700s.
Where to find it: Aunt Sally’s Pralines in New Orleans’ French Market is among the most famous.
Shreveport-Style Stuffed Shrimp- This local delicacy was cooked in the 1950s by Freeman & Harris
Café, a historic black-owned restaurant that opened in 1921 and fed legends like Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. and B.B. King. This was one of the first places in Shreveport where people of all colours could
dine together.
Where to find it: Freeman & Harris closed in 1994 but Orlandeaux’s continues the legacy today.
You can also find stuffed shrimp in eateries all over the area, like Eddie's Seafood &
Soulfood.
Meat Pie- A fried pie, similar to an empanada, filled with beef and pork and seasonings and a perfect
side for a handheld on-the-go treat.
Where to find it: Meat Pies are the signature dish of Natchitoches. Find them at Lasyone’s Meat Pie
Restaurant or the Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival.
Sazerac- It is a New Orleans-born cocktail containing rye whiskey, bitters, Herbsaint and lemon peel.
Where to find it: Purists will want to try a Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt New
Orleans hotel. You can learn more about the history of the Sazerac through interactive exhibits and
tastings at The Sazerac House.
Image credit: Louisiana Office of Tourism
