According to the National Geographic, a group's culture defines its way of life and its own view of itself and other groups. Seasonings such as Cayenne pepper, Tony Chachere's, Tabasco sauce and Zatarain's are prevalent in the cuisine of Louisiana. Touch history with a tour of a plantation where the daily activities of the past are recreated. Traditionally, southern style soul food such as smothered pork chops, chicken and dumplings, candied yams, hot water cornbread, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and black-eyed peas are commonly eaten in North Louisiana. Famous desserts and snacks include King Cake, beignets, Pralines, Sweet Potato pie and Pecan pie. Other popular festivals throughout the state include the Alligator Festival, Andouille Festival in LaPlace, Bridge City Gumbo Festival, Etoufee Festival in Arnaudville, French Quarter Festival, Gretna Heritage Festival, International Rice Festival, Jambalaya Festival in Gonzales, Louisiana Cajun Food Festival in Kaplan, Louisiana Catfish Festival, Louisiana Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana Pecan Festival in Colfax, Louisiana Seafood Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia, Louisiana Watermelon Festival in Farmerville, Mudbug Maddness in Shreveport, Natchitoches Christmas Festival, Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival, Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, New Orleans Oyster Festival, New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival, Orange Festival in Buras, Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, Rayne Frog Festival, Red River Revel, Satchmo SummerFest, Southern Decadence, State Fair of Louisiana in Shreveport, Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and Yambilee Festival. See costumes, history of King Cakes, Mardi…, Kick off your Creole Nature Trail journey at Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point-a free, fun…. Many early rock-and-roll musicians started out singing gospel music. The 1940's through 1960's saw the Second Great Migration when even more left the state in search of a better life. Today, boiled crawfish is served throughout the state. This heritage continues with a state fiddling championship held each year at Marthaville in Natchitoches Parish. Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians were later joined by other Protestant sects such as Lutherans, who were often German immigrants. While Cajun country only covers around 30 percent of the state, it's traditions have a hand just about everywhere. Their string bands usually included a guitar, a fiddle, and a mandolin. Louisiana Traditional Acadiana Sticker is backordered. This became the name of these dance parties, and today the term fais-do-do refers to a Cajun dance. Other popular athletic sports include basketball and baseball. Although the food most identified with the state is the Cajun and Creole food of South Louisiana, North Louisiana also has its own unique cuisine. As you would expect, Louisiana celebrates the winter holidays a little bit differently than other states. According to the National Geographic, a group's culture defines its way of life and its own view of itself and other groups. [citation needed] While the state is predominantly known for both its Cajun cuisine, Creole cuisine, and Native American cuisine. Gradually Creole French became the language of other ethnic folk living in Louisiana including Native Americans, Irish, as well as the more recently arrived Vietnamese, Cambodians, Syrians and a host of other ethnicities. Orchestras have created musical culture since colonial days.
© 2020 Louisiana Office of Tourism. Sports are very popular in Louisiana. They named it Louisiana in honor of the French king. Peek back across the centuries, as you walk under lavish ironwork and through the lush courtyard gardens of a meticulous French Quarter hotel. As such its population has large Cajun and Creole communities that greatly influence the food, language and music.