Acadiana

See

In the River Parishes along the Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, is a historic region known locally as the Louisiana River Region. Historical plantation homes dating back to the 1800s are on both banks of the river. Some of these are open to the public, ranging from non-profit educational facilities to commercial tourist attractions with major amenities. Pre-Civil War, there were hundreds of wealthy plantations along this trail, growing mostly sugar cane. Most are gone today, but locals have worked diligently to keep the remaining plantations viable and open to the public for visiting.

Do

Listen – and dance to – some Cajun and Zydeco music. There are dance halls and clubs in cities and towns, and some scattered in more remote locations people drive for miles to get to. A few of the more noted ones are:

• Fred's Lounge, Mamou
• Prejeans, just north of Lafayette
• Randol's, Lafayette
• Slim's Y-Ki-Ki, Opelousas
• Whiskey River Landing, Henderson, near Breaux Bridge

Acadiana hosts a number of festivals. Some major ones are:

• Crawfish Festival, May in Breaux Bridge
• Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, September or October in Lafayette
• Festival International de Louisiane in late April, Lafayette
• Frog Festival, November in Rayne
• Zydeco Festival, August in Opelousas

Swamp life:

Eat

Real Cajun food! Acadiana is the birthplace of Cajun food. Much of what is labeled "Cajun" elsewhere (including other parts of Louisiana!) has little to do with the delicious real thing.

Not to be confused with the Creole style of cooking native to New Orleans, Cajun food is more provincial and less glamorous than its counterpart to the east. Equally rich to Creole food, Cajun dishes are often spicier as well. Cajun food also does not rely on tomato sauce to the same degree as Creole food, and in foods common in both cuisines, the Cajun version is often a brown color compared to the Creole's red version. Some of the more notable Cajun food that visitors should sample in Acadiana are:

• Boudin: (pronounced "Boo Dan") A spicy sausage that descends from the 'boudin blanc' of French cuisine, it consists of a sausage casing filled with a mixture of rice, pork, liver, green onion, and other bits. First-timers should be sure to inquire as to the level of spiciness, since some varieties can pack a lot of heat. Boudin filling can also be rolled into balls, breaded, and then deep fried to create boudin balls. Ask a local where to get the best boudin, they are often fiercely loyal to that of their favorite butcher shop or restaurant. While pork is usual, crawfish or shrimp boudin is sometimes seen.
• Cracklin': The Cajun version of pork rinds, they are often heartier and much spicier than other varieties. Most trips to get boudin aren't complete without an accompanying small grease-soaked brown bag of cracklins for the trip home.
• Crawfish: Whatever you do, don't call them "crayfish." Crawfish are a local delicacy to Louisiana, and in particular for Acadiana. The neighboring town of Breaux Bridge proclaims itself the "Crawfish Capital of the World," and residents of the region eagerly await the return of crawfish season every year. Crawfish is served in a variety of ways in Cajun cooking. Étouffée is a dish consisting of the meat of the crustacean smothered in butter, onions, peppers, and spices, and finally served over white rice. Fried crawfish is also another popular option. Perhaps the most popular method of cooking is a crawfish boil, which like the clam bakes of more northernly destinations, is part meal, part communal celebration. Large quantities of live crawfish are boiled in heavily-seasoned water, along with potatoes, corn, and onions (also meant to be eaten later). The finished product is then often poured out on a large table for everyone to grab a seat and dig in. Locals have different techniques for peeling the hard shells, and they are eager to teach any newcomer their particular method. Some say the "fat" sucked out of the head is the best part, but I'll leave that up to you to decide.
• Gumbo: While gumbo can be sampled in New Orleans and other destinations, residents of Acadiana often insist their regional version of the thick stew-like dish is the true version. Some noticeable differences include darker roux and the lack of tomatoes (which are seen in New Orleans gumbo due to the history of Italian immigration in the city). Two main varieties of Cajun gumbo include seafood (often with shrimp, crab, oysters, and sometimes crawfish) and chicken and andouille sausage (a slightly different version with duck replacing the chicken is lesser known but equally delicious).
• Jambalaya: An easy way to think of this oddly-named dish is basically Cajun paella. It always consists of rice, vegetables, spices, and some kind of meat, but never tomato sauce unlike Creole jambalaya. Types of meat often include chicken, sausage, shrimp, or tasso (a smoked, cured, and spiced cut of pork).
• Rice & gravy: A staple crop of South Louisiana (the town of Crowley calls itself the "Rice Capital of the World"), rice is more important to Cajun cooking than probably any other European-derived American cuisine. It is served with étouffée and gumbo, mixed with spices and liver to make "dirty rice,"and paired with red beans and sausage for a famous Louisiana dish. In the case of rice and gravy, the white rice (most often long grain), serves as a starch addition to braised or smothered meat with gravy. Most often made with pork cutlets, the gravy is made with meat drippings, onions, peppers, and spices. Rice-based dishes trace their roots to a time when the Cajun people of Louisiana often needed to stretch what little meat and vegetables they had into a full meal. Today rice and gravy dishes are more of a comfort food, but they can be bought as "plate lunches" as various small eateries and even the corner grocery store or deli.

In addition to these several true Cajun dishes, there are many other items which are unique to Acadiana and can be found, at least in an authentic form, nowhere else in the world, as well as beloved Southern dishes such as fried chicken and frog legs.

Drink

Many enjoy a cold beer with Cajun food or music. Lafayette's Parish Brewing Company concentrates on quality small batch brews, including the popular Canebrake wheat beer brewed with local sugarcane. The Bayou Teche Beer company in Arnaudville sells multiple varieties brewed at the Mississippi brewery Lazy Magnolia. Also popular in Acadiana is Abita Beer, from Abita Springs in Acadiana's neighbor to the east, the Florida Parishes. As in all of Louisiana, whiskey is also popular.

While famous for its drive-through daiquiri shops, Louisiana does have an open container law - please wait until you've reached your destination to crack open that frozen deliciousness. When you tour a plantation, depending on the plantation's own rules, visitors over age 21 may purchase an alcoholic beverage and drink it while taking a tour, walking the grounds, etc. This is also true for some swamp tours and golf outings.