Louisiana Destinations ... Travel Across the Bayou State


Louisiana Boiled Crawfish Louisiana Boiled Crawfish

Louisiana Food & Culinary Traditions

Louisiana’s cuisine is influenced by a myriad of cultures including French, Spanish, African, and more, with names to suit those cultures like étouffée, boudin, andouille, maque choux, and jambalaya.

It also includes some of Louisiana’s fresh seafood that visitors may never have sampled like crawfish or alligator. It’s no wonder that Louisiana food draws such interest and curiosity from outsiders.

Excellent Cajun cooking abounds in Louisiana, whether your tastes tend to seafood gumbo, crawfish etouffee, crawfish bisque, crawfish pie, fried crawfish, boudin or maybe even fried alligator!

The two most popular types of cuisine in Louisiana are Creole and Cajun, and telling them apart is difficult for locals and tourists alike because you can often find both variations of the same dish.

And don't forget Natchitoches meat pies, grilled oysters, red beans and rice, jambalaya, great peach pies from Ruston, fried catfish, great BBQ, soul food, and so much more.

Good food is found everywhere in Louisiana. Ask any visitor—or resident for that matter—what they like the best about this state, and they will say either "the food and the music" or vice versa.

A common denominator in our cuisine is often Louisiana seafood. The state has 400 miles—actually thousands of miles if you count bays and inlets—of coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, making it one of North America’s most productive shrimp, oyster and crab fisheries.

In Louisiana, we don’t stop with our unique culinary creations. The state is also home to craft breweries, distilleries and wineries. All across the state fresh brews and wines are being concocted that showcase local ingredients like blueberries, strawberries, roasted coffee, and honey. In some cases, such as Bayou Teche Brewing, these libations are crafted to pair with Louisiana cuisine. And in south Louisiana, distilleries are utilizing the state’s sugarcane and rice to create spirits like vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey.

Whether you are dining at Antoine's or Commander's Palace in New Orleans, Middendorfs at Pass Manchac, Prejeans in Lafayette, Hot Tails in New Roads, or one of hundreds of other Louisiana restaurants, a great culinary experience is to be enjoyed!

Always a popular meal in the Bayou State ... Seafood Gumbo (photo courtesy of LouisianaTravel.com)
Always a popular meal in the Bayou State ... Seafood Gumbo

 

 

Louisiana Food Favorites

For Fish and Seafood Lovers!
Boiled Shrimp
Louisiana Boiled Shrimp
Fried Shrimp
Fried Shrimp Dinner in Louisiana
Shrimp Poboy
Louisiana Fried Shrimp Poboy
Boiled Crawfish
Hot, boiled Louisiana crawfish!
Crawfish Pie
Louisiana Crawfish Pie
Crawfish Etouffee
Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee
Oysters on the Half Shell
Louisiana Oysters on the Half Shell
Oysters Rockefeller
Oysters Rockefeller
Charbroiled Oysters
Louisiana Charbroiled Oysters
Blackened Catfish
Louisiana Blackened Catfish
Fried Catfish Fillets
Fried Catfish Fillets ... a Louisiana Favorite
Seafood Gumbo
Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
Crab Cakes
Louisiana Crab Cakes
Boiled Crabs
Boiled Louisiana Crabs
Stuffed Shrimp
Louisiana Stuffed Shrimp


More Louisiana Favorites!
Andouile Sausage
Boiled Andouile Sausage
Louisiana Meat Pies
Louisiana Meat Pies
Muffuletta Sandwich
Muffuletta Sandwich ... a favorite New Orleans tradition
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Red Beans and Rice
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice

And for Dessert!
Beignets
Beignets ... always a favorite in the New Orleans French Quarter, and all over Louisiana
King Cake
King Cake ... a Louisiana tradition during Mardi Gras
Pecan Pie
Pecan Pie
Pecan Pralines
A favorite Louisiana dessert ... pecan pralines
Doberge Cake
Doberge Cake ...  Six to eight tiers of cake layered with lemon and chocolate pudding
Bread Pudding
Bread Pudding, a Louisiana treat!

 

Gulf to Table New Orleans Style - Video from Louisiana Travel

New Orleans chefs and restauranteurs tell the story of Gulf to table cuisine in the Crescent City.

Watch more videos at the Louisiana Office of Tourism - LouisianaTravel.com

A Recipe for a Louisiana Favorite: Crawfish Etouffee Ingredients

  • Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee
    Louisiana Crawfish Etouffee
    2 lb. crawfish
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 c. onions, chopped
  • 1/2 c. shallots
  • 1/2 c. celery
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c. green pepper, diced
  • 1 T. flour
  • 1 small can tomato sauce ( 8 oz.)
  • 2 c. water
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Tabasco sauce
  • Cayenne pepper
Instructions
  • Saute vegetables in butter until tender.
  • Add garlic and cook one minute more; do not burn.
  • Add flour and stir until golden brown.
  • Add tomato sauce.
  • Stir in water and crawfish; simmer 10 minutes or until crawfish are tender.
  • Season to taste with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. 
  • Cook slowly 10-15 minutes more.
  • Serve over cooked rice.
  • Serves 4-6

Video on How to Make Crawfish Etouffee

YouTube video from Louisiana Travel

 

 

Shrimp boat off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico
Shrimp boat off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico
(Photograph courtesy of the LA Office of Tourism)

 

More Louisiana Information
Louisiana hotels, motels, vacation rentals and other lodging options All about the Louisiana alligator Explore Louisiana cities and towns, by geographic regions
Explore the Acadiana Region and Cajun Country in South Louisiana Explore Louisiana museums, from New Orleans in the south, to Shreveport in the north Explore the massive Atchafalaya Basin Swamp in Louisiana
Tour the towering Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge Take a boat tour of the many swamps all across Louisiana All about Louisiana crawfish: facts, seasons, buying, boiling and recipes

 

Visit LouisianaTravel.com for more information about Louisiana food and culinary traditions
For more information about Louisiana’s food and culinary traditions, visit LouisianaTravel.com