Mardi Gras Monday: Food

photo credit: Photo Mojo

This is part of an ongoing series of Mardi Gras-related posts. You can follow the rest of the posts here.

Granted, food is not the most common thing that people associate with Mardi Gras, but New Orleans truly is a city that cherishes its cuisine and, as a result, there is a great deal of food that goes with the holiday.

However, the food of Mardi Gras, and of New Orleans in general, can seem a bit odd to people not from the region. Though those from Louisiana, especially the southern part of the state, make this kind of cooking a part of their daily lives, it’s going to seem a bit odd to those who are just visiting.

So what kind of food should you been on the lookout for or try when you’re in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Here are some of my picks.

King Cake

In New Orleans, no food is more associated with Mardi Gras than king cake. Plain king cake has a texture and taste somewhat close to a cinnabon. It’s very doughy and is flavored with a healthy amount of cinnamon. Typically it is topped with purple, gold and green icing, the traditional colors of Mardi gras, giving it a very sweet flavor that also makes it a diabetic nightmare.

Though “plain” king cake has a slight cinnamon flavor, you can get “cinnamon” flavored that sometimes has extra. Also, there are a variety of other flavors including cream cheese, praline, coconut, banana, pumpkin and the list goes on (way on at some places).

What makes king cakes unique is they all come with a trinket baked inside. In New Orleans, the trinket is typically a baby, according to many used to represent baby Jesus. Getting the slice of cake means a lot of different things depending on the environment. Some groups consider the person king or queen for the day, others, especially in workplaces, say that the person who gets the baby has to purchase the next king cake.

King cake, like any other cake, is typically eaten as a dessert and works best with large groups. However, you can easily find smaller king cakes for one or two people. The argument about where to get the best king cake will rage on in the city for generations, but there is little doubt that the local bakeries, of which there are many, do a better job than the local grocery stores.

In short, if you want the best king cake, don’t go to Wal-Mart (though actually local Wal-Marts do have them).

Other Foods

The other foods typically associated with a New Orleans Mardi Gras are not Mardi Gras-centric foods, but rather local cuisine that is associated with the city itself. This namely includes cajun and creole foods. As for the difference between them, I’m not getting into that discussion as that could be a series of posts on its own and, as Tabasco points out, no one really seems to agree.

Here are the typical foods that a tourist might be interested in trying during a short stay in the city:

1. Gumbo: Gumbo is the most common food associated with the region. It is a thick soup with meat, vegetables and a heavy dose of spices, typically served over rice. It comes in two varieties, seafood (which is crawfish and shrimp) and chicken/sausage. Though you can get crawfish any time of the year, it is typically the best between late spring and early summer, making Mardi Gras a bit early for the best seafood gumbo. Though you can find it, most places that take gumbo seriously will still be selling chicken/sausage gumbo. You may also wish to try your gumbo with filé, a spicy powder that tops the dish.
2. Po-Boys: Looking at a po-boy, many assume it is just another submarine sandwich. However, unlike Subway, these sandwhiches are served on french bread and typically feature fried seafood items such a shrimp, catfish, etc. However, there are turkey, ham and more common meat po-boys. Often times po-boys are referred to as “dressed”, which means as having lettuce, tomato and mayo (sometimes dressed includes pickles and onions as well).
3. Étouffée: Étouffée is a seafood (usually crawfish) stew that is also served over rice. Though it has a great deal in common with gumbo, it is much thicker usually and generally more precise in standards. Where gumbo is like a soup, Étouffée is usually more like a topping for the rice with sauce.

Though you can get these foods at just about any time in New Orleans (the seafood items being better after Mardi Gras), since so many tourists come to the city for Mardi Gras, this is the time they seem to get the most attention.

Conclusions

Food is a big part of the history of New Orleans and its culture. Visiting New Orleans without tasting the cuisine is like not listening to any Jazz or seeing Bourbon Street.

It’s a big part of the city and a huge part of Mardi Gras. So in between the partying, parades and revelry, take time out to eat some of the local food. Not only are you helping the economy, but you’re completing the New Orleans experience.