Louisiana's iconic cuisine draws from West African, French, Spanish, and Native American influences to create a true melting pot of flavor. Whether you're a local or a visitor, our real estate agents recommend that you try these unforgettable dishes found in restaurants, cafes, and markets near New Orleans homes for sale. 

Essential Dishes of Louisiana Cuisine

Gumbo

Every exploration of Louisiana culinary classics should begin with gumbo, the spicy seafood stew recognized as the state's official cuisine in 2004. While everyone has their own spin on this dish, most versions share these elements:

• A deep, rich roux made with flour and oil or butter
• The traditional "Holy Trinity" of celery, bell peppers, and onions
• A chicken, seafood, or sausage broth with a thickener such as okra or filé powder
• Any choice or combination of meats and seafood

Each Thursday before Easter, legendary Dookie Chase serves their famous gumbo z'herbes, a variation featuring an assortment of greens. Galatoire Restaurant's signature duck and Andouille gumbo and seafood okra gumbo are available year-round.

Jambalaya

Gumbo and its cousin, jambalaya, share many characteristics. How to tell the difference? Gumbo is thicker and served over rice, whereas jambalaya is less soup-like and rice is incorporated in the dish itself. 

French Quarter mainstay Cafe Maspero serves a popular blackened chicken and Creole jambalaya as well as a version made with penne pasta instead of rice. Feeling adventurous? Coop's Place is known for its sassy servers and its inventive boneless rabbit and sausage jambalaya. 

Muffuletta

Yet another international cuisine is represented by the muffuletta. This hearty Italian sandwich features several layers of deli meats and cheeses finished with a crowning touch of salad made from chopped olives, pickled vegetables, capers, oil, and vinegar.

Sicilian immigrant Lupo Salvadore, who founded Central Grocery in 1906, is credited with creating the muffuletta, and the atmospheric deli remains the go-to spot for the most authentic sandwich. Explore a range of muffulettas at these great locations:

• Verti Marte is open 24/7 to satisfy those unexpected muffuletta cravings.
• Porgy's Seafood Market, which calls their sandwich a "muffulettu," adds another twist with layers of yellowfin tuna and anchovy aioli.
• Enjoy your muffuletta with a Pimm's Cup and a side of classical music at Napoleon House. Carb-cutting? Order your muffuletta as a salad, minus the bread.

Crawfish

Seafood lovers across the country are well-acquainted with shrimp, lobster, and other delicacies from the ocean, but crawfish are uniquely associated with Louisiana. While crawfish are similar in flavor and looks to lobster, they live in the state's freshwater ponds, rivers, and streams. Crawfish are often referred to by a variety of quirky-sounding names: 

• Crawdads
• Crayfish
• Mudbugs 
• Yabbies

Boiled crawfish is a dine-in or take-out staple at places such as family-owned Original Cajun Seafood, the funky 24/7 dive bar Three Legged Dog, and Frankie and Johnny's, a historic establishment that was once a popular hangout for longshoremen working the docks.

Bananas Foster

Louisiana doesn't live by savory dishes alone, and there may be no better example than luscious Bananas Foster, a dessert that's equal parts spectacle and taste. Surprisingly, Bananas Foster was created as a marketing tool to promote the fruit that was arriving in the port of New Orleans from Central and South America. Bananas Foster is traditionally served tableside in a flaming presentation, just as it was done in its origin at Brennan's Restaurant. The dessert is also on the menu at legendary landmarks Arnaud's and Court of Two Sisters.

A day of viewing New Orleans open houses provides a perfect opportunity for some culinary exploration. Contact us for up-to-the-minute listings and market information.