Authentic Cajun food and fresh Gulf seafood are a huge part of the culture in Vermilion parish. People come from all over the nation to eat it. Families have spent generations preparing it. And farmers and fishermen produce it straight from local crops and catches.
Dozens of restaurants serve local fare. They have names like Dupuy’s, Suire’s and Soop’s. That local fare is the most popular kind of cuisine here, and eating it is an adventure! It’s gumbo with that particular kind of roux. It is po boys stuffed ‘til they overflow. It is raw oysters with local hot sauce. It is alligator sausage and boudin balls. – The depth and diversity of the Cajun menu is something that must be experienced. There is no better place than the most Cajun Place on Earth to experience it!
One of the most famous specialties here can be found at Hebert’s Specialty Meats, home of the turducken. These de-boned chickens, stuffed inside a de-boned duck, stuffed inside a turkey come with cornbread, pork or wild rice stuffing.
There are local markets that feature homegrown, seasonal fruits and vegetables. They support both retail customers and the local restaurants. Some other local businesses though, have customers throughout the world. Crops such as rice and sugarcane are prime examples. South Louisiana’s rice industry produces much of the rice consumed in the country and also exports to other countries. The same is true of sugarcane, which has been farmed here for more than 200 years and contributes more than $2 billion to the state’s economy.
The ‘cane industry is playing a role in new product development here, too. Hand made rum, using local sugarcane, is now being made by the area’s first micro distillery. Sweet Crude Rum can be found in local restaurants and is sold in hand-corked and numbered bottles.