23 May 2024
Bill Addison/Eater
Hot on the boudin trail in South Louisiana, from Eunice to New Orleans
Stop at any mom-and-pop corner store or gas station in Cajun Country, and boudin awaits. Usually sold steamed, and sometimes on a stick, this peppery mix of pork, cooked rice, trinity (bell pepper, celery, onion) cayenne, and sometimes bits of liver is fully cooked, then stuffed into a casing like sausage, though it’s not smoked, cured, or ground like one. It’s usually eaten from hand to mouth, squeezed out of its casing morsel by morsel, a practice that takes some getting used to for non-Cajun eaters. Enjoy it like that, or in deep-fried boudin balls, stuffed into bell peppers, or powering a Cajun-style egg roll.
A cousin to the French boudin blanc, the Cajun version is decidedly more peppery, influenced by Native American, Spanish, Afro-Caribbean, and German flavors and practices. Truly, Louisiana boudin stands alone. Here are some mom-and-pop places in South Louisiana and even here in New Orleans to taste the real thing.