37 replies to this topic

[Nola]

Who has the best Boudin, where to get it, and how is the taste?

[mbox]

I haven't found any good boudin in New Orleans.  The Best Stop in Scott (near Lafayette) has great boudin.  They also have cracklin for 7.99/lb.  And you can get a big slab of hog's head cheese for cheap.

[Jason Perlow]

Poche's.

http://www.poches.com

[Mayhaw Man]

Champagne's Grocery in Breaux Bridge (on the main highway headed south as you leave the interstate), as well as the aforementioned Poche's (which is really easy to find in the daytime and not so easy after dark ),
both have fine examples of the classic pork as well as shrimp and crawfish examples.

[FistFullaRoux]

Boudin can be kind of subjective. Everyone has different criteria. Some like more rice than others, some want more pepper or onion, some want thinner casings... It's all about what you grew up with, and what is familiar and good to you. There is also a little regional difference. Morgan City isn't quite the same as Opelousas.

Just keep trying them until you find one you like. I do know that the odds of finding something in metro New Orleans will be difficult. Try the outlying areas. Acadia and St. Landry Parishes seem to have more boudin makers per capita. Once you find a supplier, order a bunch. It freezes well, and heats up nicely. After thawing, use a rice cooker (if you have one) or gentle steaming, and the frozen stuff will be fine.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Boudin Blanc or Boudin Noir?

I like the Boudin Noir that is manufactured by Polarica.

For Boudin Blanc, I like the Marcel & Henri which I buy from Le Village.

[Rachel Perlow]

We sampled the crawfish and the pork boudin from Poche's (see link above), and they were both fab. Not too spicy, but the heat built up to a pleasant burn.

[FlaJoe]

I found Jacob's in LaPlace, LA (cajunsausage.com) has excellent boudin. I always get my andouille and tasso from them, but I had their boudin a few times, and I thought it was very good.

[Lucille]

My favorite is Bodin's Boudin.

I have tried alot of others, and none comes close.

I want to Stop and The Best Stop one day and try theirs, but the driver, never wants to stop dang it.

[Aussie_Gusto]

The best Boudin balls....a little store in a town called Iowa La. Just off the Highway. I have eaten them hot and also enjoyed them cold. This shop has the best fried chicken also, their fries are excellent. Tha casino buses running from Houston to Louisiana apparently stop here occasionally too for the passengers to have a good feed!

I am not sure of the name, but I know they have the Chevron fuel and the other side of the highway over the bridge is a Love's service station.

As an Australian who has lived here 2 years, I have been eager to try many of the southern cuisines and Boudin is by far one of my favorites!
{Pickled eggs, crispy crackling and etouffee come in next)

[PopsicleToze]

I agree with MBox that the best boudin is at The Best Stop in Scott, LA. Also agree with other poster that no good boudin is to be found in New Orleans I love Jacobs in LaPlace and make a monthly trek to get their andouille, tasso, and such. However, IMHO, their boudin leaves much to be desired.

[Mayhaw Man]

Once again I must direct your attention to Poche's in (kind of in, anyway ) Breaux Bridge, LA. Awesome Boudin.

Champagne's Grocery on the main drag in Breaux Bridge is really good as well.

If you are going to Poche's you can pm Rachel P. for directions. She knows the way.

[Rachel Perlow]

But if you do get lost on the way, just keep driving, you haven't gone far enough.

[Gator]

I just mentioned this on the post about north of I-10 food, but I recommend a trip to the Johnson Grocery in Eunice. I can't say it's the best, but it's very good, and the grocery is the real deal. A food critic friend tipped me off to it years ago, and I've stopped there every time I've been in Louisisana since. It has a certain, I think, garlicky tone that I find irresistable.

[dls]

I found Jacob's in LaPlace, LA (cajunsausage.com) has excellent boudin.  I always get my andouille and tasso from them, but I had their boudin a few times, and I thought it was very good.

I've purchased (by mail order) from both Jacobs and Poches. I tend to prefer Poches. I also happen to love the Charice from Poches - both fresh and smoked.

Keep in mind that if you order from Poches, they have a 10lb minimum.

[Mayhaw Man]

Keep in mind that if you order from Poches, they have a 10lb minimum.

Yes they do. And keep in mind that they also charge pretty rediculous prices for shipping (but I guess not much more than other shippers of fresh foods) and that will add substancially to the price.

Me. I just drive over and circle around awhile until I find it.

[dls]

  And keep in mind that they also charge pretty rediculous prices for shipping (but I guess not much more than other shippers of fresh foods) and that will add substancially to the price.

I don't know what you pay at retail. Online, Pouches boudin is $6.29/lb, shipping included, plus a $5 per order handling fee. Unless retail is a hell of a lot less, this does not seem unreasonable to me.

Still have the 10 lb minimum though. I normally get a couple of other people together to split the order for a single item. Though I have never done it, I assume that you can split the order with various items as long as you hit the 10 lb minimum.

[FistFullaRoux]

I don't know what you pay at retail. Online, Pouches boudin is $6.29/lb, shipping included, plus a $5 per order handling fee. Unless retail is a hell of a lot less, this does not seem unreasonable to me.

You can walk into nearly any locally owned (and a few corporate) convenience store in Acadiana and get steaming hot boudin out of a rice cooker for about $1 a link (1/3 or 1/4 lb). Wrapped in wax paper or aluminum foil, you walk/drive and eat.

Edited by FistFullaRoux, 15 January 2004 - 01:13 PM.

[Mayhaw Man]

I stand corrected.

The last time I was in there a couple of Yankee Tourists were asking about shipping their just purchased bounty home. The price we were quoted was per pound, not per order, and it was pretty dear.

Incidentally, it is usually sold here by the link when purchased hot and judging by weight of individual link, I would say roughly $4 a pound sounds about right, but as I am about to go to Rouse's I will check the price on theirs and let you know this afternoon.

[dls]

You can walk into nearly any locally owned (and a few corporate) convenience store in Acadiana and get steaming hot boudin out of a rice cooker for about $1 a link (1/3 or 1/4 lb). Wrapped in wax paper or aluminum foil, you walk/drive and eat.

This sound great. My only problem though, is that before I "walk" in, I have to fly from Chicago. The cost per pound jumps up quite a bit when I throw in the airfare. It's a no brainer when I'm in the NOLA area (about 3 times a year on business with a couple of extra days of diversions thrown in). Other than that, it's mail order.

[Java-Joe]

Lucille, if you can hear me (!), where is Bodin's? I live in NOLA and am willing to go just so far for boudin.

My favorite (and only) place is Champagne's in Breaux Bridge, (home of Jake Delhomme and Ali Landry

My mother lives in Lafayette and we'll go through Breaux Bridge to go to Champagnes on the way to her house.

Joe

[Lucille]

Hi Joe,

It's the brand name.

I buy mine at Menard's in New Iberia. Lil corner grocery.

Found this though..

Bodins Cajun Foods, (337) 367-1344, Avenue D, New Iberia, LA

Lucille

[Java-Joe]

Thank you Lucille!
Joe

[jess mebane]

You can walk into nearly any locally owned (and a few corporate) convenience store in Acadiana and get steaming hot boudin out of a rice cooker for about $1 a link (1/3 or 1/4 lb). Wrapped in wax paper or aluminum foil, you walk/drive and eat.

This is totally true. Some years ago a guy named Mavrinac offered his home and hospitality to a few carloads of his colleagues for Mardi Gras, and we headed out to NO from Houston. Those of us in his car thought he was smooth-ass crazy when he careened off the interstate suddenly to pee and purchase said gas-station boudin, and then the smell began to get to us and we made him go back. Last, best, cheapest meal we had for three days.

[bbq4meanytime]

Poche's.

http://www.poches.com

Thanks for the tip, I just received 10lbs (boudin, andouille, tasso) by fed-x today. Lokking forward to tasting!

[Mayhaw Man]

Your welcome.

Would you mind telling us what kind of shape it was in when it showed up? Was it still hard frozen? How was it packed? Etc.

It would be very helpful to those thinking about ordering.

Thanks

[bbq4meanytime]

Your welcome.

Would you mind telling us what kind of shape it was in when it showed up? Was it still hard frozen? How was it packed? Etc.

It would be very helpful to those thinking about ordering.

Thanks

Well I've ordered perishable foods from all over the country and I thought they did a fair job of packing.

Coincidentally, I showed up at the house when fed-x was making the delivery around 3:00pm: about 3/4 of the shipment was still frozen solid and 1/4 starting to thaw. They packed in cardboard lined with styrofoam with a frozen pack insert. My only complaint would be that they left too much space inside the box and some larger sausages beat up on the smaller ones in transit; the smaller ones were slightly smashed where they were beginning to thaw (very minor issue but could have been mcuh worse if there was any more thaw).

I might have some concerns shipping in summer and/or if nobody was home within a couple of hours of delivery.

Ordering online was easy; order confirmation was prompt and accurate.

[Mayhaw Man]

It's an amazing thing, this internet stuff. Poche's is literally "in the middle of nowhere" (just ask Rachel P., she can tell you all about it ). Still hard for me to believe that they can do anything overnight from their local.

Glad to hear that it showed up in good shape. I am doing a small catering job tonight (75 people -cocktail snacks-sweets) and am using andoullie from Poche's as part of my crawfish pie filling (I went and picked it up Saturday p.m., easy for me to say )

Menu tonight-

Crawfish Tarts (2 inch crawfish pies in pate brisee)

Smoked Salmon on flatbread w/sun dried tom. pesto, creole creme cheese and capers

Gorganzola Mousse w/homemade breadsticks (served in large sourdough loaves hollowed out with all of these sticks coming out if it, looks very cool)

Hazlenut/Chocolate Puffs

Lemon Loves

Gotta Go. Need to put together 100 crawfish tarts.

[davebr]

I was reading in the 1928 Times Picayune Creole Cook Book. The recipe for boudin not only doesnt include pork liver but it doesnt include rice either. Instead of rice it calls for bread that is soft and cook with the pork in cream. When did we switch? Also, the creole word for cooking "chitterlings" is andouilles. Im freaked out.

[bbq4meanytime]

Poche's crawfish boudin was excellent (but I've never had crawfish boudin before so what do I know). It was a little soft, I guess I was expecting a little more firmness but I was pleased, had it with shrimp and grits. Their tasso was pretty good too, nice balanced spiciness, put it my black eye peas.