I had an amazing experience yesterday. My birthday was 2/26 and my BIL's birthday was 3/4. My Sister booked a Cajun Food Tour for our joint families to celebrate.
Marie Ducote Comeaux is a former school teacher and school administrator. She quit her job, bought a small bus and started Cajun Food Tours. Monday thru Saturday she does 2 tours a day. Each tour is 3 1/2 hours long and includes food tastings at 6 different locations. She has 24 food partners so the venue changes. Marie is very knowledgeable about the Acadian history, culture and heritage as well as the history of Lafayette.
The venues are not the "tourist venues". They are locally owned and authentic.
I am a life-long native of Lafayette and know a great deal about the history and heritage. Marie provided information that I was not aware of.
If you ever visit south Louisiana this is a MUST DO. It is a MUST DO for locals. 50% of Marie's business is local.
Can you tell that I am passionate about my home, it's culture, history, heritage and FOOD?
Seriously Guys and Gals - if you are ever in the area PLEASE let me know. I will give you suggestions on the best places to visit, things to do and see and of course the best places to eat. Stuff that most tourist will not experience.
Anyway - there were 13 of us on the food tour yesterday. Marie was an informative, funny, gracious guide. The food was fantastic and we all waddled away very happy.
Visit soon.
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ElizabethB
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- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
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ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Rairdog - Boudin is a gift of the gods. The original Acadians were driven out of Nova Scotia and settled all along the east coast of the US. Ship loads of men were forcibly removed from their homes and loaded on cargo ships to be dropped off where ever the ship docked. Later women and children were loaded onto ships and brought to France. The history of the Acadians is brutal. Families torn apart.
Contrary to popular belief the Acadians did not arrive in Louisiana until after the French gave Louisiana to the Spanish. The Spanish wanted to colonize and settle the region so they offered land grants. The displaced Acadians took them up on the offer and settled in south Louisiana.
They were looked down upon by the NOLA French and Spanish.
They learned to live off of the land in a very hostile environment. There was no refrigeration and no natural source of ice so families would gather to butcher animals. Nothing was wasted. Boudin is a by product of a Boucherie - hog butchering. Families would gather and butcher hogs. Every scrap was used. The skin, fat and a little bit of meat was rendered. The result was Cracklins and lard. The lard was further processed - some mixed with lye (ash) for soap some reserved for cooking. Every part of the animal was used. The head was boiled, stripped of meat and gelatin, mixed with onions, celery, garlic bell peppers. Poured into a pan and allowed to set - Hog's Head Cheese. If I served it to you, you would think it was a lovely pate.
Boudin was made from the scraps. What could not be used elsewhere. The scraps were smothered down with seasoning, added to rice and stuffed into casings. Until the late 1960's you could get Blood Boudin - yes pig blood was incorporated into the scrap meat and rice mix. It can still be found at some local festivals. It must be made and served within 12 hours.
Most Boudin sold today is made from Boston butt. Unless you know where to shop the liver flavor is lacking.
You live so close. Please visit.
Contrary to popular belief the Acadians did not arrive in Louisiana until after the French gave Louisiana to the Spanish. The Spanish wanted to colonize and settle the region so they offered land grants. The displaced Acadians took them up on the offer and settled in south Louisiana.
They were looked down upon by the NOLA French and Spanish.
They learned to live off of the land in a very hostile environment. There was no refrigeration and no natural source of ice so families would gather to butcher animals. Nothing was wasted. Boudin is a by product of a Boucherie - hog butchering. Families would gather and butcher hogs. Every scrap was used. The skin, fat and a little bit of meat was rendered. The result was Cracklins and lard. The lard was further processed - some mixed with lye (ash) for soap some reserved for cooking. Every part of the animal was used. The head was boiled, stripped of meat and gelatin, mixed with onions, celery, garlic bell peppers. Poured into a pan and allowed to set - Hog's Head Cheese. If I served it to you, you would think it was a lovely pate.
Boudin was made from the scraps. What could not be used elsewhere. The scraps were smothered down with seasoning, added to rice and stuffed into casings. Until the late 1960's you could get Blood Boudin - yes pig blood was incorporated into the scrap meat and rice mix. It can still be found at some local festivals. It must be made and served within 12 hours.
Most Boudin sold today is made from Boston butt. Unless you know where to shop the liver flavor is lacking.
You live so close. Please visit.
elizabeth-is this tour in Lafayette? I go to Lafayette ocassionally, and I always go to the Festival de Fleurs-it is so much better than our spring festival. That tour sounds like something I'd like. I have relatives in the Lafayette area that I haven't seen in quite a while. Maybe we could do this.
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ElizabethB
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- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Catgrass - yes.
Marie is a former school teacher and administrator who quit her job to start this amazing business.
Be right back with a link for you.
https://cajunfoodtours.com/
DO book a tour. It is $55 per person $50 with a group discount. Worth every penny. You could not get these tastings on your own for the same price - forget about transportation and traffic.
Living in Lake Charles you are well aware of our wonderful culture, heritage and food. BTW - When ever I visit or drive through LC I always stop at Darrell's for a surf and turf poor boy. To die for!
Let me know the next time you are in Lafayette. We may actually be able to meet and do something fun together.
Festival des Fleur is a Master Gardener project.
Marie is a former school teacher and administrator who quit her job to start this amazing business.
Be right back with a link for you.
https://cajunfoodtours.com/
DO book a tour. It is $55 per person $50 with a group discount. Worth every penny. You could not get these tastings on your own for the same price - forget about transportation and traffic.
Living in Lake Charles you are well aware of our wonderful culture, heritage and food. BTW - When ever I visit or drive through LC I always stop at Darrell's for a surf and turf poor boy. To die for!
Let me know the next time you are in Lafayette. We may actually be able to meet and do something fun together.
Festival des Fleur is a Master Gardener project.
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ElizabethB
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- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Catgrass - this is the link
https://www.festivaldesfleurs.org/
If you do visit for the festival please give me a call. Contact me on PM and I will give you my phone number.
I will be attending so why not meet up?
If you are interested in doing the food tour I would be more than happy to do it again and would really enjoy sharing it with a new friend.
https://www.festivaldesfleurs.org/
If you do visit for the festival please give me a call. Contact me on PM and I will give you my phone number.
I will be attending so why not meet up?
If you are interested in doing the food tour I would be more than happy to do it again and would really enjoy sharing it with a new friend.
I will be going. Heck, was gonna have a yard sale that weekend-I'll wait until the following weekend now. By then it should be good and hot! (ha!). Can't do de Fleurs and a food tour the same day-but we can schedule for another time. Yes, I'll send you a message and let you know when time I'll be leaving and when/where we can meet. I usually stop at a couple of nurseries there in Lafayette, too. I love to see what All Seasons has every year, and the one on the corner by the Mall. I also belong to the Bayou Gardener group and hope to meet a couple of them, too, possibly.
