Some of my favorite memories from traveling through Louisiana revolve around food. My last trip to the state took me through Lafayette’s Cajun Country and St. Martin Parish, where I spent several days exploring Cajun culture, and food was woven into nearly every part of the experience. I took a Cajun food tour through Lafayette, ate at local favorites, listened to live zydeco music and learned more about the region’s culinary history and traditions.
It quickly became clear that in this part of Louisiana, food isn’t just something you eat along the way—it’s one of the best ways to actually experience the culture. And few dishes are as closely tied to Louisiana’s culinary culture as gumbo.
With National Gumbo Day coming up on October 12, it’s the perfect time to dig into the history behind the dish, where to try it across the state and why Louisiana is the best place to experience it for yourself.
The history of gumbo in Louisiana
Gumbo can’t be traced back to one culture or one original recipe, and that’s part of what makes the dish’s history so interesting.
The dish developed from many of the same cultures that shaped Louisiana itself, bringing together African, Native American and European food traditions. Even the ingredients used to make and thicken gumbo point to that history. The name “gumbo” is generally linked to African language traditions associated with okra, while filé powder, made from ground sassafras leaves, has roots in Native American cooking. Roux, another staple in many gumbo recipes, has European origins.
There’s no single definitive gumbo recipe. Depending on where you are in the state, you might find seafood, chicken and sausage, game or other combinations in the pot. And that’s part of what makes eating gumbo in Louisiana so much fun: you’re not always tasting the same version of the dish.
Trying gumbo in different cities and restaurants gives visitors another way to experience the communities and food traditions that make up Louisiana.
Start your food trip in Cajun Country
If food is a priority when you travel and you want to dive into Cajun cuisine, I’d put Lafayette high on your Louisiana itinerary. It’s where I spent much of my own trip, and I loved how the region’s food, music and Cajun culture blended together throughout my experience.
One of the best introductions was Cajun Food Tours, a three-hour food tour with stops at five locally owned restaurants around Lafayette. The company partners with nearly 30 local eateries, so the route and tastings change, but the experience is a great way to try Cajun staples while sharing the history and culture behind the food.
Our tour gave me the chance to experience several different sides of the local food scene. At Parish Biscuit Co., we tried the Acadia, a buttermilk biscuit loaded with fried catfish, crawfish étouffée and fried crawfish tails. At Ton’s Drive In in nearby Broussard, I got to try gumbo for myself. We also stopped at NuNu’s Cajun Market and sampled king cake from Poupart’s Bakery, a family-run French bakery that’s been part of Lafayette’s food scene since 1967.
Another memorable stop was Fezzo’s Seafood, Steakhouse & Oyster Bar in nearby Broussard, where I tried the charbroiled oysters, cooked over an open flame and topped with garlic butter.
My food exploration didn’t end with the tour. At The Cajun Table, a casual Lafayette restaurant specializing in Cajun favorites, I ordered a shrimp po’boy while others in my group dug into a crawfish boil. Sitting around a table piled with crawfish is an experience in itself, and another example of how food in Cajun Country is as much about gathering together as it is about what’s on the plate.
Food was a huge part of my time in Lafayette and St. Martin Parish, but it was only one piece of experiencing Cajun Country. Here’s a look at some of my favorite moments from the trip, from the food and live music to the swamps and small towns that make this part of Louisiana so memorable.
I’d also make time for experiences beyond the table. One of my favorite nights was spent at Blue Moon Saloon, a laid-back Lafayette music venue where I caught a live zydeco performance. Zydeco has deep roots in southwest Louisiana’s Black Creole communities and is traditionally driven by instruments like the accordion and washboard.
I also visited Vermilionville Living History Museum, a 23-acre historic village that explores the Acadian, Creole and Native American cultures that shaped the region. Historic homes, demonstrations, music and exhibits help tell the story of life in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries.
And if you’re visiting in early May, the nearby Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival is another reason to plan a food-focused trip to the area.
It’s the combination that made this part of Louisiana particularly memorable for me. You can learn about the region’s history, sample Cajun specialties throughout the day and listen to zydeco at night.
More places to try gumbo around Louisiana
Lafayette isn’t the only destination to add to a Louisiana food trip. Gumbo recipes vary across the state, making trying the dish in different parts of Louisiana part of the fun.
In Shreveport, The Blind Tiger is one spot to seek out gumbo while exploring northern Louisiana. Farther south in Lake Charles, Nina P’s Cafe takes its gumbo seriously enough to give it its own section of the menu, with both chicken-and-sausage and seafood versions available.
Back in Cajun Country, Prejean’s has been serving Cajun cuisine for more than 40 years and offers several versions of the Louisiana staple. Its menu includes seafood gumbo with Gulf shrimp, Louisiana crawfish and blue crab, along with chicken-and-andouille and duck-and-andouille versions, all made with a dark roux.
And no gumbo-focused trip through Louisiana would be complete without a stop in New Orleans. Dooky Chase’s Restaurant has been a fixture of the city’s Tremé neighborhood since 1941, but its significance stretches far beyond its food. Under legendary chef Leah Chase, known as the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” the restaurant became an important meeting place during the Civil Rights Movement, hosting leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. The restaurant continues to serve its Creole gumbo today.
Louisiana’s regional variations are exactly what make trying gumbo in different parts of the state worthwhile.
Sampling gumbo at Ton’s Drive In
National Gumbo Day celebrations coming to four cities
This National Gumbo Day, Louisiana is taking its culinary traditions on the road.
Explore Louisiana is bringing Louisiana chefs and culinary traditions to four cities across the country through a series of special National Gumbo Day events for invited media and content creators. Designed to give attendees a hands-on taste of Louisiana, the events will spotlight the stories, techniques and traditions behind one of the state’s signature dishes.
In New York City, private chef Natasha Clement and chef Amy Sins of Langlois will be at De Gustibus Culinary School. Los Angeles will host chef Meg Bickford of Commander’s Palace at Violet Cooking School. Chef Jeremy Langlois of Houmas House in Darrow will head to STIR Cooking School in Denver, while chefs Keith and Nealy Frentz of Lola in Covington will cook at Ghostline Kitchen in Austin.
Bringing Louisiana chefs to cities across the country offers a taste of what makes the state’s food culture so special. But after experiencing Cajun Country myself, I’d argue the best way to understand Louisiana food is to go straight to the source.
Louisiana’s diverse culinary scene may be what gets you to the state, but it won’t be the only thing that keeps you thinking about Louisiana long after you’ve returned home. Between the music, culture, crawfish, neighborhood restaurants, family recipes and generations of culinary tradition, this is a place where food isn’t just something you eat, it’s part of the experience of being there.
So consider National Gumbo Day your appetizer. For the full meal, you’ll have to book the trip.
Dining and Cooking