Louisiana, a tasteful getaway
There's more to Louisiana than New Orleans. From Shreveport to Lafayette, you'll need to follow in the footsteps of its official dish, gumbo, to savor its mixed-race history and grasp its multicultural value,
The French colonists left behind the roux technique, using flour and fat to start the recipe. There are also powdered sassafras leaves, reminiscent of the very first Amerindian inhabitants.
Gumbo also embodies the African roots of this popular stew, which borrows its name from a green vegetable. It's no coincidence that Louisiana designated it its official dish in 2004: not only does gumbo bring together three continents on the same plate, it also concentrates in one spoon the multicultural heritage of this American state, watered by the Mississippi delta.
Contrary to appearances, the choice is not binary. The taste experience is just like Louisiana's identity: plural. There are as many ways to concoct a gumbo as there are cooks who prepare it.
On the trail of gumbo in Louisiana
To savor all the history of Louisiana, you'll need to chart a course from Shreveport to New Orleans. The journey is easy to follow, especially from October onwards, when a number of festivals turn the state into a giant kitchen.
The obvious place to start is Chackbay, naturally named the "gumbo capital", where over 2,000 liters of stew are concocted for the Louisiana Gumbo Festival.
The road then continues to Lafayette for an immersion in Cajun culture. Head for the historic village of Vermilionville to attend the South Louisiana Blackpot Festival & Cookoff, where cooking competitions are held around local dishes emblematic of Louisiana's culinary heritage: gumbo, jambalaya - a rice dish with spices, crayfish and sausage - and other local classics.
For the ultimate gumbo experience, head south to the World Gumbo Championship in New Iberia.
