00:00When you find your Louisiana, you feed your soul.
00:09When people think of Louisiana, they might imagine beads flying through the air and jazz-filled streets and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
00:17But there's so much more to this southern state.
00:20It's food, it's music, it's culture that you won't find anywhere else in the states.
00:25From zydeco and jazz to Cajun gumbo and bayonets, this is a state that really knows how to live.
00:31In today's Travel Smart, we're delving into the rhythms and flavors of Louisiana.
00:36And I'm here at Plaquemine Lock to learn what makes Louisiana food just as soulful as its music.
00:42Louisiana is one of America's most distinctive states.
00:54French, Spanish, Caribbean, African and indigenous cultures have all left their mark here.
00:59Which is why it feels so different from neighboring states.
01:02You'll hear French spoken in small towns, smell Cajun spice at roadside diners and see small parades erupt in the street just for the pure joy of it.
01:12It can be hot and humid for a lot of the year, with hurricane season running from June to November.
01:17So personally, I would recommend winter or spring as the better times to visit.
01:21If you're visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras, it pays to book far in advance.
01:26But it's also worth remembering that there are plenty of festivals throughout the year, including Jazz Fest in spring and zydeco trail rides,
01:34which are a kind of Creole horseback parade with live music.
01:38And don't forget the outdoors.
01:40From the beauty of the bios in Cypress swamps to wildlife reserves and state parks,
01:45Louisiana's landscapes are just as much a part of the experience.
01:49Swamp tours, kayaking or even spotting gators along the Atchafalaya basin
01:54give you a whole new perspective on the state.
01:56When you're there, forget rushing.
01:58Louisiana has a slower, more laid back pace.
02:02When I'm there, I like to sit down, listen to the music, enjoy the food and really just soak it all in.
02:14New Orleans is where jazz was born and you still feel that energy almost everywhere you go.
02:19One of my favourite things to do in the city is just to wander up and down Frenchman Street,
02:23popping into different bars and finding quirky new spots.
02:27Preservation Hall has been the spiritual home of jazz since the 1950s,
02:32and you can still find live music played there pretty much every evening.
02:36The French Quarter is the city's beating heart, rebuilt by the Spanish after the fires in the 1700s,
02:42which is why its pastel-coloured townhouses and wrought-iron balconies feel so distinctive.
02:48Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral provide the picture-perfect backdrop,
02:53and along Royal Street you'll find street performers and local artists.
02:57If you're after something a little outdoorsy, I'd recommend taking a stroll on the Moonwalk Promenade along the Mississippi.
03:04The Natchez Steamboat is another popular choice.
03:08You can take a jazz cruise along the river and really take in the sights.
03:12And of course you can't leave New Orleans without trying beignets with a cup of strong coffee.
03:18It's a sweet, simple ritual that's part of everyday life here.
03:22If you're lucky, you might catch a second-line parade where brass bands leave crowds of dancers through the streets.
03:29It's loud, chaotic and totally unforgettable.
03:37Just up the river is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital.
03:41This city has a more local, laid-back feel.
03:44The old state capital looks more like a gothic castle than a government building.
03:49And the Mississippi Riverfront is perfect for an evening walk with live music drifting from local bars.
03:56The sound here is swamp blues.
03:59A raw, soulful style that grew out of Louisiana's mix of gospel, country and rhythm and blues.
04:06The Baton Rouge Blues Festival is one of the best in the state, and it's completely free.
04:11If you want the real deal, head to Phil Brady's.
04:15This is a true dive bar, with cold beer, pool tables and some of the most authentic live music you'll find.
04:22I've also heard that Chelsea's live and Teddy's juke joint are legendary for music and drinking.
04:28Baton Rouge is also a big cottage town, home to LSU.
04:33And nothing brings people together like football season.
04:36Game day here means tailgating, which is when thousands of fans join together hours before kickoff with grills, music and dancing.
04:45It's basically an all-day street party in the car park, but it's just as much a cultural event as the game itself.
04:53What I love about Baton Rouge is it's not touristy.
04:56It's locals singing, dancing and celebrating their own culture.
05:00For me, it's Louisiana stripped back and unfiltered.
05:10Lafayette is often called the cultural capital of Cajun country.
05:14The city lives and breathes music, from accordions and fiddles spilling out of dance halls to locals two-stepping late into the night.
05:23This is also the area where Louisiana's second largest Mardi Gras takes place, with traditions like the Lundi Gras Boucherie, which is an all-day pig roast and barn dance.
05:34And the Curie de Mardi Gras, where costumed riders parade through rural communities.
05:39And Lafayette is the gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin.
05:43Take a swamp tour or try kayaking among moss-draped cypress trees, where you may spot turtles, heron or even an alligator as you paddle.
05:52It's an incredible way to experience Louisiana's wild side.
05:57And back in the city, this is where Cajun food really shines.
06:01Gumbo, jambalaya, po'boys and crawfish boils are classics that are guaranteed to bring everyone around the table.
06:08And just outside the city is Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce, where you can learn how Louisiana's most famous hot sauce is made.
06:16And luckily, I don't need to fly across the Atlantic to get an authentic taste of Louisiana.
06:21Right here in London at Plaquemine Lock, I'm about to get a crash course in Cajun cooking with head chef Tom to learn what makes it so unique.
06:30And understand why Louisiana food is just as soulful as its music.
06:35So we're at a kitchen in North London and serving Louisiana food. Isn't that common?
06:40No.
06:41What do you think makes it work?
06:42The hook for me was oysters.
06:44Okay.
06:45So my family was in East London, digging oysters out of canals going a few generations back.
06:51When I first went to New Orleans, I remember the first night arriving, going to a little oyster house on the end of the street.
06:58And there were just three guys shucking.
07:00It was cash only.
07:01You could get a bottle of beer.
07:02I remember watching kids come in after school and get fried oysters, like they get fried chicken over here.
07:08Suddenly that whole East End Cockney oyster connection made sense to me.
07:12So when I took over this kitchen, that was one of the things that I was quite explicit.
07:17I wanted to make happen.
07:18I wanted accessible oysters and just tie that whole Creole Cockney connection.
07:23So Tom, Cajun food is a huge part of the culture in Louisiana.
07:27Can you tell me what we're going to cook today?
07:29Yeah.
07:30So we're going to cook some gumbo.
07:31So on its most basic level, gumbo is a soup.
07:34On a deeper level, gumbo is a way of life.
07:38It has to be thickened with either okra, with sassafras or with roux.
07:45So those are the three big influences on Louisiana cuisine.
07:49So you have the roux, which is coming from France.
07:52You have the okra, which is coming from West Africa.
07:55And you have the filet powder, which is coming from the Native American Indians.
08:00How are we cooking it today?
08:01I like my gumbo to be the greatest hits.
08:03So in here, we're going to have chicken, we're going to have sausage,
08:07and we're going to have shrimp, and we're going to have okra, and we're going to have roux.
08:11If you're in Louisiana, you might have two or three of those things.
08:14We start with the trinity.
08:16Then we get in our sausage.
08:18Then we get our roux.
08:20We use a mix of chicken stock and shrimp stock.
08:24We let that cook for days and days and days.
08:27I think the reason gumbo has become so synonymous with southern cuisine
08:31is because this is the one dish that represents all these cultures coming together more than any other.
08:36So gumbo is going to be different from place to place, from person to person.
08:40Like you and I probably have a mum or a nan who makes the best roast we've ever had.
08:45For Asian people, their mum, their nan will make the best and the only gumbo.
08:51And what's your favourite?
08:52I mean, I really like this, which has a bit of everything.
08:55But my favourite will be if someone invites me to their home and shows me something that means something to them,
09:01I think you can always taste that.
09:07Further west is Lake Charles, home of Zydeco music, which is Cajun's rather funky cousin.
09:13Zydeco music has its roots in African-American Creole culture.
09:17And alongside the accordion, you'll hear the fritoire.
09:20This bizarre but rather cool instrument is a metal washboard that's worn like a vest
09:26and it's played traditionally using spoons or bottle openers.
09:29It's loud, it's playful and it's impossible not to dance to.
09:33Lake Charles has Zydeco branches where you can listen to music, dance and drink before noon.
09:39But ask any local and they'll likely point you in the direction of Panorama Music House.
09:45This historic venue has live music acts and is filled with local memorabilia.
09:50And Lake Charles has a modern side too.
09:53It's known for its waterfront resorts and sprawling casinos,
09:57with big name concerts, lake views and a nightlife that feels a bit like Vegas on the Bayou.
10:03But if you want to change a pace, head to the Creole Nature Trail.
10:07This is known as Louisiana's Outback, a scenic drive through marshes, beaches and wildlife refuge,
10:14where you'll spot hundreds of species of birds and possibly even an alligator at the roadside.
10:24Louisiana is a state that doesn't just show you its culture, it throws you right into the center of it.
10:30So if you're looking for a holiday that's loud, colourful, delicious and full of soul, Louisiana is waiting.
10:37For more recommendations on Louisiana travel and for tips and insights into other destinations,
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