Experiencing an explosion of flavours – NOLA you did me good!!!
- Karishma Sen
- Oct 25, 2016
- 4 min read
Experiencing an explosion of flavours – NOLA you did me good!!!
Having a soft spot for anything that’s edible and smells delicious; I found myself in what I now call my personal heaven – New Orleans.
Envision a city where you can experience and taste a unique and brilliant blend of American, French and Caribbean culture. Fondly known as the birthplace of Jazz and home to the world’s best flavours, New Orleans is the city where people live to party…. I mean come on it’s the land of Mardi Gras!
I've always wanted to travel to New Orleans being one of the most alluring food cities in the world. New Orleans and eating go together like me and procrastinating! :p . It's impossible to experience one without the other. In a town with over a thousand restaurants, small and big establishments, the food journey never stops.
So when I had the chance to visit the city; where one of my many food dreams were to come true... let’s just say that there were plenty of gumbos, legendary cocktails, and beignets involved in my research. As thousands flock to the city for Mardi gras, I set out on my own little food adventure.
If you plan on visiting the culinary capital of the U.S.A, with a cuisine that reflects the city's multicultural roots; these are my top picks that are a must try in the delicious city!
1.Gumbo
Of all the dishes in the territory of Louisiana cooking, gumbo is the most popular. Gumbo appears on the tables of the poor as well as the wealthy.
Gumbo is a traditional Creole dish: a stew that originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century made with okra (as a thickener, though a roux or filé powder can also be used), chicken, cured pork products or seafood, and (usually) rice.
If you are like me and enjoy a wholesome meal cooked with sugar, spice and everything nice; a steaming bowl of fragrant gumbo is one of life’s cherished pleasures!
2. Chargrilled Oysters
My goal was to try as many Gulf oysters as possible in the span of 3 days, both raw and cooked. My favourite though were the succulent Chargrilled Oysters – I could move there if I could just to be closer to them.
Close your eyes and imagine the salty-like-the-sea flavour of the charred oysters coupled with hot melted garlic butter and cheese… is your mouth watering yet? I admit they are a bit pricey but to get a taste of that and you won’t value money any more…
3. Beignets
The first time I saw or heard of Beignets, was on the animated Disney series – The Princess and the Frog and boy! did those animated versions of them make me want to try this New Orleans signature pastry.
The beignet was first introduced to the city by the French immigrants; the light, melt in your mouth puffy treat are fried fritters of dough, dusted with powdered sugar and best eaten fresh and hot, with a cup of coffee.
Talking about them I want to go back and gorge on them, though these are not very good for the calorie conscious…
4. Red Beans and Rice
Being Indian who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of Rajma Chawal… well this is Louisiana’s twist to our desi favourite.
The beans are cooked in a lovely meaty broth with leftover meat usually pork/ beef and served with rice. One of New Orleans's most famous dishes is available at every nook and cranny of the city. You could probably pop into someone’s home on a Monday night and treat yourself to the bowl of love if they allow trespassing!
5. Boudin
Boudin is a Cajun country thing! And who isn’t a sucker for a good sausage? New Orleanians sure know how to turn every possible meat into a sausage!
Boudin is usually boiled and served hot, but you can buy it smoked, fried in balls, it is made with crawfish, chicken, pork, beef, alligator or deer meat. You can taste it in various forms - boudin egg rolls, boudin grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza topped with boudin, even boudin stuffed king cakes.
The old-fashioned red boudin, a blood sausage version – an acquired taste I agree; is worth a try at least once!
6. BBQ Shrimp
Leave it to unconventional NOLA; regardless of the name, there's no barbecue sauce or grill involved in this dish.
The dish is super simple, it’s just sautéed shrimp in a Worcestershire-spiked lemony butter sauce. Typically made with an illegal amount of butter, they are served shell-on so you eat with your hands. Pair it with fresh crusty bread, and believe you me you will not know when to stop!
Well! This just gives you a tiny glimpse of what to expect when in NOLA! Hope this makes you want to visit this amazing city and if you already have and I have missed out on one of your favourites be sure to write to me and let me know!
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