Why New Orleans?
I have always been fond of New Orleans, especially the food culture in it. Since a little kid, I knew I wanted to be a chef and from really early on, I have been interested about the soul food. Visiting the The Big Easy has been on my bucket list ever since. The closest I have been to it, was when I was working for a restaurant called Soul Kitchen, in the neighborhood of Kallio, Helsinki when I was still a student in culinary school.
Read more: Wish I Was There – New OrleansMix pot of the South
New Orleans is truly one of a kind when we are talking about food culture. The indigenous cuisine has got influences from local and haute Creole and New Orleans French cuisines, but it also have traditions from African, Cajun, Cuban, Spanish, Italian, of course also French and even Chinese culture. This combination produces totally unique food culture, flavor of New Orleans.
source: Wikipedia
Top 10 NOLA flavors
These are the most recognizable dishes of New Orleans:
- 1. Beignets – square shaped fried dough
- 2. Gumbo – meat or seafood stew
- 3. Jambalaya – creole and cajun rice dish
- 4. Seafood boil – name kind of speaks for it self doesn’t it?
- 5. Étouffée – commonly made out of seafood and served with rice
- 6. Oysters – straight from a shell or for example Rockefeller style
- 7. Red Beans and Rice – this one does not need to be explained neither does it?
- 8. Po’ Boy – sandwich filled with beef, chicken or seafood, most commonly fried shrimp
- 9. Crawfish – boil, peel and enjoy!
- 10. Muffuletta – sandwich that has got inspiration from the italian cuisine
source: neworleans and munchery
Mardi Gras
Another reason I’d love to visit New Orleans is the Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is same as laskiaistiistai for finnish people. New Orleans is not the only city that has the legendary Mardi Gras carneval, there is also Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Venice, Salvador da Bahia, Mazatlán and Mobile that do celebrate it the same way.
