Soulfood


For a true taste of the Deep South, explore Louisiana’s West African,


European and Native American flavours, writes Monica Meade


DESTINATIONS LOUISIANA | THE US


t “


he way you can tell someone’s from Louisiana, versus if they’re not: you ask them if they do a double boil,” says Beau Hays, owner of BeauxJax Crafthouse in Shreveport.


Southern crawfish boil PICTURE: Shutterstock/Brent Hofacker


There’s an entire space dedicated to giant crustacean cooking pots just beyond the kitchen of this independent Cajun and Creole restaurant. They’re a staple in Louisiana homes too, and on the Friday before Easter every year, they’re fired up for a backyard crawfish boil to mark the beginning of spring. Legend has it the crawfish here are descendants of the Canadian lobster, a foodie tradition introduced by exiled Acadians from Nova Scotia as they made their way south in 1764. Adapting to living amid the waterways and wetlands of the US mainland’s rainiest state, the French colonists – nicknamed Cajuns for short – soon realised the conditions were perfect for farming these mudbugs. Breaux Bridge in Louisiana is now recognised as the Crawfish Capital of the World. It’s one of many ingredients central to Louisiana’s year-


round festivals, dinner table gatherings and creative restaurant menus that represent a history of resilience, adaptability


² travelweekly.co.uk 6 FEBRUARY 2025 43


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