All About Crawfish Bread: Recipes, History and Where to Find It
You don't have to wait until spring in New Orleans to sample this beloved loaf that's a Jazz Fest staple.
Crawfish bread might just be the most delicious thing you’ve never tried. Picture the Cajun trinity sautéed with garlic, then tossed with tender crawfish and cheese seasoned with just the right amount of spice. That savory mixture is rolled into French-bread dough and baked until golden-brown, sealing all that melty crawfish goodness into every bite. Served hot from the oven and meant to be enjoyed with your fingers, crawfish bread is comfort food at its most crave-worthy.
Hungry yet? We've got you covered.
Where can I try crawfish bread?
The good news is you don’t have to wait for Jazz Fest to enjoy this Louisiana specialty. Laborde ships his award-winning crawfish bread year-round from Marksville; it arrives frozen, so all you have to do is thaw it, then bake it in the oven.
Crawfish bread is also on the menu at restaurants throughout Louisiana, including Luna Bar & Grill in Lake Charles, Drago's Seafood Restaurant's Bossier City location, and all three Hot Tails locations.
And if you want to make it at home, follow our easy crawfish bread recipe that uses refrigerated French-bread dough.
Where did crawfish bread originate?
Back in 1984, John Ed Laborde of Panorama Foods was making sausage bread in his bakery when an idea struck. He rolled out his homemade dough, spread cheese, crawfish and seasonings on top, then rolled it up to create an instant classic.
A few years later, he landed a coveted food vendor spot at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the rest is history. Crawfish bread has become synonymous with Jazz Fest, and its booth has been one of the festival's most popular for nearly four decades.
Want to learn more about crawfish bread?
For more on crawfish bread and other Laborde specialties, check out culinary personality Jay D. Ducote's account of his visit to the Panorama Foods bakery.
