A Culinary Tour Of Cajun Country

In Cajun country south and west of New Orleans culinary delights await

. Not only will you find wonderful places to sample Cajun and Creole cuisine, but you will find tourist attractions focused on food.

At the Kon-Ri-Ko Rice Company in New Iberia, Louisiana you can tour a working rice mill for a mere four bucks. The tour starts with a fifteen minute film on the culture of the region followed by a guided tour of the 100 year old mill. In the course of the 20 minute tour you see how rice is processed. Your tour guide answers questions and finishes up by offering you red beans and rice.

Tabasco is the hot sauce they offer to spice up your rice, and after youve finished wolfing it down its a quick drive over to Avery Island where the Tabasco factory tour awaits.

700,000 bottles of Tabasco are produced here every day. The company was founded by Edmund McIlhenny in 1868 and is still operated by the McIlhenny family.

The word tabasco means hot and humid. Its a fitting name for the zesty condiment, a straightforward combination of aged red peppers and natural high grade vinegar.

You begin the factory tour in a two room exhibit hall and then you are shown into a theatre to watch a 10 minute film before heading into a glass walled corridor where you can watch factory workers bottling the condiment.

Rice and Tabasco are common ingredients in Cajun cooking. When you add shrimp, you are most of the way to a good jambalaya. When you go to Rita Maes Kitchen in Morgan City, about a half hour down the road from Avery Island, you can enjoy the genuine article.

Rita Maes is situated on a quiet residential street. Eating there can feel like dining with the family. They offer crawfish etouffe, shrimp po boys, red beans and rice, and other Louisiana staples.

If Rita Maes is a great place for lunch in Cajun country, Fremins Restaurant in Thibodaux should be your first choice for supper. Fremins is sited in a historic 19th century building with a wrap-around porch and French doors. The building has been restored and has porcelain tiles, pressed tin ceilings, pine floors and a mahogany bar.

The charred oysters at Fremins are a house specialty. They come basted with Italian herb sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese. You might want to combine them with a tasty seafood gumbo and a Cobb salad. Wash it down with Abita, Louisianas signature beer, and as you dine, enjoy the sounds of a live jazz combo.

Cajun country has plenty of interesting things to see and do, but if you focus on the food, its hard to go wrong.

by: Malcolm Logan

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