Unusual and Tasty Louisiana Foods
From alligator to mirliton, these Louisiana foods will make for a memorable meal.
It’s time to try something different! In this guide, we explore Louisiana food staples offering some unusual — and extra-tasty — flavors.
Alligator
Southern Louisiana is full of swamplands and marshy coastal regions, meaning it's the perfect habitat for alligators, which quickly became part of the everyday dining options. Alligator tastes similar to chicken or rabbit, and the tenderloin, tail, ribs and other parts of the animal are used to create dishes like Cajun-spiced alligator ribs, Creole stew and fried alligator tail.
Try alligator pie at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival or, to try a recipe at home, you can buy fresh gator from Cajun Grocer.
Boudin
Boudin (pronounced “BOO-dan”) is a Cajun tradition and culinary staple around Lafayette and Lake Charles. Most boudin is a blend of cooked pork, rice, onions, peppers and seasonings stuffed into a sausage casing. Boudin blanc, or white boudin, is most common. Today, boudin makers sometimes get creative with various fillings, including seafood.
Crawfish
Crawfish is probably one of the most well-known foods on our list, and the best-known way to enjoy crawfish is as part of a crawfish boil —but not everyone is familiar with how to peel and eat them. After pinching the tail and twisting it away from the head, suck the head to extract the flavorful briny juice. This is an optional step in the process, but it's where you'll find the most seasoning.
Find more ways to enjoy crawfish around Louisiana, like making your own crawfish pie or attending one of our Louisiana crawfish festivals.
Frog Legs
Frog legs have been served around Louisiana for centuries, and to many they're considered some of the tastiest food to come out of the southern Louisiana swamp waters. Whether they're buttermilk-battered and fried or served French Provencal style, the meat is tender and similar to the texture of chicken wings. Try a round at Chef Roy’s Frog City Café in Rayne.
Don’t miss the famous Rayne Frog Festival to really discover Louisiana’s love for frogs! Or try Willie Robertson's recipe for garlic frog legs at home.
Mirliton
Mirliton, also known as chayote, is part of the gourd family, and all the fruit, leaves and roots are edible. It's native to Brazil, and records indicate that it’s been grown in New Orleans since 1867.
Mirlitons are usually lightly cooked and offer a crisp flavor packed with amino acids and vitamin C. They're traditionally incorporated into Thanksgiving dishes, and when the root is added to stews, it offers a taste and texture similar to a potato. In the colder months, considering whipping up some mirliton and shrimp soup.
Soft-Shell Crab
If you can find it in the bayou, there's likely a recipe in Louisiana for it. In the warm, coastal Louisiana waters, blue crabs are abundant. Soft-shell crabs are crabs that have recently molted their exterior shell, making all parts of the crab edible without needing to crack open a hard shell; you can even eat the claws and the legs!
Soft-shell crabs are served in a number of ways, from po'boys to pasta dishes. Have it fried as part of a dinner or loaf at Casamento's in New Orleans, or piled high on the seafood platter at Roberto's River Road Restaurant in Sunshine.
