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Tag: New Orleans History
Why Does New Orleans Love Sno-Balls?
Describing a sno-ball is tricky. Most of the country visualizes a snow cone, chunky ice in a paper cone drizzled with rainbow colored syrup. But for all those who aren’t local New Orleanians, let us be very clear: that is not a sno-ball. So then, what, you may ask, is a sno-ball? This seasonal treat…
Gumbo vs Jambalaya: What’s Better?
Bubbling away in cast iron pots over an outdoor hardwood fire, the multi-cultural dishes of gumbo and jambalaya were an affordable and satisfying way to nourish a gathering of neighbors, congregations, and hunters. From the fields of West Africa The name “gumbo” came from the West African Bantu word for “okra”. Okra was commonly used…
Preservation Hall: Where Art & Jazz Meet
In a city whose culture is founded on art and music, nothing represents the collision of these two worlds better than Preservation Hall. It has a history that epitomizes New Orleans’ zest for community and collaboration and continues to embody that spirit to this day. A Jazz Hall by Any Other Name While it…
The Boat that Saved Humanity
New Orleans is no-doubt a city of culture, one that offers art and music galore, but one of its greatest contributions to global history is memorialized in the depths of the Warehouse District: the Higgins Boat. As the 74th Anniversary of D-Day dawns, it’s time to pay homage to the boat that changed the face…
The Carousel Cocktail: History of the Vieux Carre
The Drink that Spins: The Vieux Carre Cocktail If you’re looking for a strong drink, nowhere can serve one quite like the Big Easy. From rum-loaded Hurricanes to the unspeakable Bourbon Street ‘Hand Grenades’, from the classy Sazerac to the the classic Old Fashioned, there’s no doubt that New Orleans knows how to mix them. …
Carnival Traditions Around the World: Part 2
Carnival Around the World Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Though it now boasts one of the most vibrant Mardi Gras parties in the world, Brazil did not always celebrate this way. Dating back to 1723, Carnival was brought to Rio de Janeiro by the Portuguese. Their way of celebrating meant groups of men taking to…
Carnival Traditions Around the World: Part 1
Carnival Traditions Around the World: Part 1 While perhaps the epicenter, New Orleans is by no means the only place in the world to celebrate Mardi Gras. We are but one of many Mardi parties that take place across not only countries but continents. Varying from India to Germany, Canada to Belgium, carnival celebrations occur…
Krewe of Muses History
The Sisters of Mardi Gras Mardi Gras is a time of color and charisma, where people of every type take to the New Orleans streets to celebrate. It’s an incredible cultural moment made better by the parades of wit and whimsy that stud the weeks prior to Fat Tuesday. One such parade is Muses, a…
Christmas Hurricane at Pat O’Briens
The History of Hurricane Cocktails Of the seemingly infinite number of New Orleans cocktails, the Hurricane is perhaps the one that represents our city’s ability to adapt best. Born of necessity, this cocktail has become a Crescent City classic and a bartending staple. So let’s take a peek into its tropical past and see what…
The Feats of Lafitte: History of Jean Lafitte
Jean Lafitte: The Most Interesting Man from New Orleans Jean Lafitte: we know him as the pirate hero of New Orleans, others know him as the most successful smuggler in the history of the Spanish Main, and some even know him as the greatest scoundrel to sail the seas. With the clouds of myth surrounding…
Powdered Sugar Pillows: The History of the Beignet
We New Orleanians are often asked, what’s all this beignet business? We send visitors home with carefully packaged beignet mix souvenirs, direct tourists towards Cafe du Monde for the perfect late night French Quarter eat, and take photographs of those bright smiles adorned with powdered sugar mustaches. But for people who don’t live in the…
Fleur-De-Lis: How It Came to Be
France, Florence, or Catholicism: Where Did the New Orleanian Fleur-de-Lis Come From? It’s no secret that New Orleans is rife with the symbol of the fleur-de-lis, adorning wrought iron fences around the city, present on almost every tourist souvenir, and of course emblazoned on Saints helmets. But its history is more convoluted than w e…