Cooking classes in New Orleans

What to eat and drink in New Orleans

Classes here usually build the menu around local dishes. Ones to look for:

Gumbo

A thick Louisiana stew of seafood or chicken and sausage over rice, built on a dark roux.

Jambalaya

Rice cooked with sausage, chicken or seafood, peppers and Cajun spices.

Beignet

Square fried dough piled with powdered sugar, eaten with café au lait.

Po' boy

A long sandwich on crisp French bread, filled with fried shrimp, oysters or roast beef.

Crawfish

Small freshwater crustaceans, boiled with spices in season (roughly January to June) and eaten by the pound.

Muffuletta

A round loaf filled with cured meats, cheese and chopped olive salad.

Étouffée

Shellfish (often crawfish) smothered in a thick, spiced sauce over rice.

Red beans

Red beans and rice slow-cooked with sausage, traditionally on Mondays.

How to pick a good cooking class

1. Check whether you cook every dish yourself or watch a demonstration. Hands-on classes usually cap groups at 10 to 12.
2. Morning classes often start with a market walk to buy ingredients; afternoon ones go straight to the kitchen.
3. Tell the host about allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book, not on the day.
4. Look for a class that sends the recipes home with you, so you can cook them again.

New Orleans month by month

Averages for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, 1991–2020.

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December