What does your Louisiana taste like?

Louisiana Oyster Trail

This trail celebrates a tiny bivalve that is not not only delicious — and nutritious — but essential to the gulf coast ecosystem. Discover the best places to eat oysters in Jefferson Parish, in the surrounding New Orleans area, from the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to the far reaches of the West Bank of the Mississippi. Taste chargrilled, fried and fresh oysters, iconic dishes like Oysters Bienville and Oysters Rockefeller, and view the fun shell sculptures created by artists at each stop. The last stop on the trail takes you down to Grand Isle, where many Gulf Oysters are harvested, for a chance to learn about the history — and future — of this innovative, adaptable industry.

Andouille Trail

Groceries, corner stores, and restaurants in the small towns of Louisiana’s River Parishes take the art of the smokehouse seriously. Even the finest New Orleans chefs are known to make the trip out here to purchase andouille for their gumbos and other recipes, as it’s one of those foods that once you’ve tasted it done right, you just can’t go back. This culinary byway takes you along the Mississippi River Road from New Orleans to Baton Rouge area, tasting traditional recipes passed down for generations, and newer innovations, from casual storefronts to upscale restaurants on former plantation estates.

Bayou Country Crawfish Trail

At the 40 stops along this trail, beginning about an hour southwest of New Orleans, you’ll find “mudbugs” in all forms. During crawfish season, which typically spans from late winter through the summer, these stops offer your best chance to stand over an authentic crawfish boil (with plenty of spice, and “lagniappe” extras like corn and sausage), and learn how to peel them (suck the heads, pinch the tails), sometimes complete with live music and entertainment. Another favourite Louisiana tradition is to buy a freshly boiled sack to enjoy outdoors at a picnic table — or you can even buy equipment to try and catch them yourself. Out of season, restaurants on this list incorporate crawfish tails into étouffées and stews.

Cajun Boudin Trail

Louisianans won’t argue that Cajun Country, in the small towns around Lafayette, is the only real place to try boudin. This guide makes it easy, leading you through small stores and smokehouses producing the best of this tasty sausage, along with other smoked meats and specialties like cracklin, a snack made of fried pork fat, like a (much better) version of pork rinds. Iconic spots along these country roads come in Cajun cabins and family-run establishments, making this a cultural exploration, as well as a tasty one, and chance to meet some seriously nice people.

Shrimply Delicious Food Trail

Many will tell you Gulf shrimp is some of the best in the world; some 36 million kilogrammes of this popular crustacean are harvested from the Gulf of Mexico each year. Sample the many uses for (always fresh) Gulf shrimp along the Cajun Coast southwest of Lafayette, a beautiful drive filled with wildlife, where inventive uses of shrimp mean you’ll never get bored: seafood crepes, avocado stuffed with shrimp salad, and even shrimp pizza. You’ll also have the chance to indulge in as many versions of staples like shrimp and grits and fried shrimp po boys as you’d like.

Cajun Bayou Food Trail

Following the river down to where it meets the Gulf, just south of New Orleans, are some of the kindest and strongest people you’ll ever encounter. A picturesque drive through these small Cajun communities is unlike anywhere else. As you approach the Gulf, it’s hard to define where the water ends and land begins in many places, and among the stilted houses and houseboats you’re sure to spot heron, egrets and some beautiful sunsets. Catching crab, shrimp, and other tasty creatures is the way of life here, and has led to some delicious culinary traditions. You’ll also find a full calendar of small festivals here, like a crawfish boil-off in spring, and a French Food Festival in October.

Gas Station Eats Food Trail

One of Louisiana’s best-kept culinary secrets is that gas stations and roadside stands, particularly along backroads and small country highways, serve some seriously good grub. Luckily, this insider’s guide makes it easy to explore some of the best roadside spots in eight parishes along the Louisiana-Texas border. Make a day trip leaving from the city of Shreveport and traveling south down to the coast, sampling cajun smoked meats, sausage, fried chicken, seafood, baked goods, and plentiful plate lunches along the way. Don’t miss regional specials like Zwolle’s hot tamales, similar to the Mexican dish wrapped in masa, in Sabine Parish, and Natchitoches meat pies, a small empanada stuffed with ground meat, and one of Louisiana’s official state foods.