South Louisiana’s Vermilion Parish brings new meaning to the local food movement
Vermilion Parish, LA – JANUARY 2015 – So Cajun you can taste it, authentic Cajun food and fresh Gulf seafood are a huge part of the culture in Vermilion parish. People come from all over the nation to eat it. Families have spent generations preparing it. And farmers and fishermen produce it straight from local crops and catches.
Dozens of restaurants serve local fare. They have names like Dupuy’s, Suire’s and Soop’s. That local fare is the most popular kind of cuisine here, and eating it is an adventure! It’s gumbo with that particular kind of roux. It is po boys stuffed ‘til they overflow. It is raw oysters with local hot sauce. It is alligator sausage and boudin balls. The depth and diversity of the Cajun menu is something that must be experienced. There is no better place than the most Cajun Place on Earth to experience it!
One of the most famous specialties here can be found at Hebert’s Specialty Meats, home of the turducken. These de-boned chickens, stuffed inside a de-boned duck, stuffed inside a turkey come with cornbread, pork or wild rice stuffing.
When you hear words like pirogue1, turducken2, and fais-do-do3, you know you’re in Cajun Country. According to the U.S. Census, this is the most Cajun place on earth, so you’ll hear these and many more!
There are local markets that feature homegrown, seasonal fruits and vegetables. They support both retail customers and the local restaurants. Some other local businesses though, have customers throughout the world. Crops such as rice and sugarcane are prime examples. South Louisiana’s rice industry produces much of the rice consumed in the country and also exports to other countries. The same is true of sugarcane, which has been farmed here for more than 200 years and contributes more than $2 billion to the state’s economy.
The ‘cane industry is playing a role in new product development here, too. Handmade rum, using local sugarcane, is now being made by the area’s first micro distillery. Sweet Crude Rum can be found in local restaurants and is sold in hand-corked and numbered bottles.
A destination’s character is defined by its people and how they interact with its lands and resources. Here in Cajun Country, the picturesque landscape is home to folks who value tradition and ingenuity. They work hard and they play hard. They welcome visitors and they are the reason so many come back again and again. They are the force behind the storied past, the successful business communities, and the very bright future here.
Fishermen, shrimpers and crabbers work the inland and Gulf waters in businesses passed down through generations and they put the fresh seafood on tables both near and far. Farmers work the rice and sugarcane fields that have dotted the landscape for decades. Families celebrate together with world renowned food and fervor.
A visit to one of the many small museums of the region, like the Acadian Museum of Erath or Le Musée de Kaplan, will illuminate the history and culture of Vermilion Parish and its people who settled in this area from Nova Scotia.
Travelers become a part of the community as they enjoy the famous local cuisine at one of the dozens of locally owned restaurants serving authentic Cajun meals. The music of the region takes center stage at spots like Touchet’s, in Maurice, home to the French Jam Sessions, or Museum Café in Erath where French and Cajun music fill the air.
1 A small cypress dugout boat
2 The famous turkey stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a chicken
3 A street party, which is part of most Cajun celebrations