Louisiana is a state with its very own food vernacular. Here follows a quick reference guide to some of the most popular Louisiana foods, along with a guide to pronouncing them.

ANDOUILLE (ahn-DEW-ee) A lean pork sausage that carries a bit of a kick; it's a staple of gumbo, red beans and rice, and many other dishes.

BEIGNET (BEN yay) similar to fried dough, but without holes, these square French doughnuts are deep fried and then served with a dusting of powered sugar.

BLACKENED This is a Cajun preparation, traditional used on redfish or any kid of meat that involves coating the fillet with a heady pepper, thyme, onion garlic, seasoning blend and then flash frying in a very very hot cast iron pan

BOIL A quintessential Cajun seafood dish, where shellfish is boiled in a spicy broth. It's a mess to eat, and therein lies the fun.

BOUDIN (boo DHAN) A Cajun smoked sausage often served with mustard, that consist of group pork roast, pork liver, chopped onions, cayenne pepper and other spices.

CAFÉ AU LAIT (CAFF ay oh LAY) A cup of rough equal parts coffee and steamed milk. In Louisiana, coffee is typically laced with chicory, a spice made of group and roasted endive roots that adds just the tiniest edge.

ETOUFFÉE (AY too FAY) From the French word meaning to smother, etouffee is one of the most popular Cajun dishes, typically made with shrimp or crawfish and a vegetable based sauce usually served over rice.

FILÉ (FEE lay) Ground sassafras leaves, this spice was introduced by the regions Choctaw Indians and is a common ingredient in gumbo and other soups and stews.

GRILLADES (gree lods) Diced meat marinated in vinegar to produce a rich gravy, it's traditionally served with grits

JAMBALAYA (jahm bu LYE ah) The Cajun equivalent of Spanish paella, this rice casserole typically contains andouille or tasso plus a variety of seafood

MACQUE CHOUX (mock shoe) A popular side dish of corn scraped off the cob and smothered in tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, and a variety of spices

PO'BOYS The name for any sandwich made with French bread, common po'boys come filled with fried oyster, fried shrimp, andouille or other smoked sausages, roast beef or meat balls. If you order a po'boy dress, it'll come with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and other condiments.

PRALINE (prah leen) A sugary confection made with cream, butter, caramelized brown sugar and pecans.

REMOULADE (reh moo lahd) A mayonnaise based sauce flavored with mustard capers, herbs and horseradish and typically served with chilled shrimp or other meats.

ROUX (rue) this is the base for many Cajun and Creole dishes. Its basically flour lightly browned in oil which is then used to thicken just about anything

TASSO Another member of the Cajun /Creole sausage family, tasso is smoked beef or pork sausage used in many stews, pastas and others dishes.

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