You may think you're coming to New Orleans for the historic riches, irrepressibly joyful culture, and lush beauty, but you will very quickly discover that you're really here to eat. My grandparents used to tell me (as they prepared huge platters of fried seafood or cauldrons of gumbo with hot rice), "In other places, they eat to live. In New Orleans, we live to eat."
Everything revolves around food here: birthdays, weddings, football games, funerals, ordinary Tuesday afternoons, even hurricane preparations. Everyone can cook. You can get outstanding, complex food at the gas station or quick mart. In fact, it's quite a shock to encounter mediocre food. We have endless restaurant promotions and food festivals. We spend one meal talking about what we ate last time and what we're going to eat next. I could eat my way through a continuous circuit of favorites for the next fifty years. Actually, I definitely will.
So when you come, do not hold back. Take naps if you need to between meals and snacks. Hydrate. Train. And when you are headed home, one of the best souvenirs is taking home some New Orleans flavors. I'll be honest: most of these items are available one way or another online, via Amazon or the brand shops (as I've linked here). But you will always find fresher products and better prices if you duck into the local grocery, plus grocery shopping is one of my favorite ways to immerse into a local culture. Try Dorignac's, Rouse's, or Breaux Mart.
While this is by no means a complete list, here's a starter pack of some wonderful food souvenirs from New Orleans:
Pecan pralines: Most praline shops now offer a bazillion specialty flavors, but I prefer the classic, no-frills editions made of cream, brown sugar, and fresh pecans. Most shops also sell and ship giftable boxed pralines. You can also grab them at the airport on your way out. Try Laura's or Aunt Sally’s.
Elmer's CheeWees: This is personal, because the Elmers are my own maternal family. My great-great-great-grandparents founded a famous New Orleans candy company that the family operated for generations. After World War II, they sold the candy division but retained the snacks. CheeWees are the original cheese puff—in fact, the more-famous Cheetos had to wait for the Elmers' original patent to expire before launching their own version. Naturally we prefer CheeWees, not because they are made by our family, but because they are delicious. Order a huge variety box of flavors and tell my cousin Lori hello.
Beignet mix: Now, nobody local actually makes beignets from a boxed mix, nor really makes them at home at all because it's so easy and cheap to get them fresh and hot from any number of cafés. But you can take home this legit beignet mix to tide you over until you're here next.
Olive salad: Italian immigrants are a vibrant and integral cord of New Orleans history, and they added many now-iconic native dishes to the city. You'll eat a muffaletta while you're here, and then you'll bring home the critical ingredient to recreate it: olive salad. My grandparents kept jars of this stuff in their fridges.
Boil seasoning: We use this crab boil for crawfish boils all spring, but it's also superb for boiling your potatoes, corn, and mushrooms on the stovetop. You haven't lived until you've eaten hot crab-boil mashed potatoes swimming in melted butter.
Coffee and chicory: New Orleans has its own take on coffee, a sharp and tangy blend of coffee and chicory that's best in café au lait or with heavy cream. The Union green bag is the traditional choice for coffee and chicory, but most local brands also have a version. I prefer French Truck (way cheaper at any grocery than via their online shop).
Hubig's pies: Unless you're a native, you probably can't fully appreciate the treasure that is a Hubig's hand pie. For one, they taste like childhood and hope. For another, we suffered for a decade without them when the company closed under family drama. The year they finally reopened and reappeared in stores, you literally had limits on how many you could purchase. I gave a huge basket of these as wedding gift to a New Orleans ex-pat, and he nearly cried upon opening the package. Available at every grocery or order here.
Tony's: Goes on everything. I mean everything: eggs, chicken, hamburgers, sausage, grilled cheese, pasta, jambalaya, soup, stew, sandwiches, salads. Smells incredible cooking. Warning: you can't fill your backpack with cans of Tony's and carry them through TSA. Ask me how I know. Another grocery store staple. You can also get it here or on Amazon.
Jambalaya mix: Making jambalaya in Louisiana is less about a specific recipe and more about the pot you use—I can't tell you how many cups of water or precise measurements for how much chopped trinity I use, but I can show you where on the pot to fill it. This mix can give you a solid starting point, although I must insist that you doctor it up a bit. Sauté some garlic and trinity as the base, add some bay leaves, sprinkle in a little more cayenne or salt, tinker with the amount of rice.
Tabasco: Made in Louisiana, used in Louisiana, cherished in Louisiana. I have actually traveled with Tabasco just in case there's a flavor emergency. Crystal also has local cult status.
Camellia red beans: There's nothing more delicious for the palate and soul than red beans and rice with hot sausage or ham bones. My grandmothers used this brand. There are many others, but I'm not about to start messing with anything they did.
King cake: I hesitate to give you this information because I'm a little afraid y'all won't be able to handle it properly. There are strict rules for king cake: to be eaten only January 6 through Mardi Gras day; to be consumed only in the traditional unfilled version; to be only covered with colored sugar, not sprinkles. I'm trusting you. Don't disappoint me. You can order a decent one here from a legitimate New Orleans bakery.
Boudin: Boudin is a gift from the heavens, but you will have to go deep diving into the grocery to find it. It's also often sold at gas stations and corner marts. We grill it on its own, and it's also wonderful cooked with greens.
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