Two great classics
Louisiana means carnival! Beads, masks, costumes and accessories of all kinds can easily be found in stores, whatever the time of year. As New Orleans is the epicenter of Mardi Gras festivities, there are plenty of options for bringing home a colorful souvenir. In fact, if you're planning a visit to the Mardi Gras World float workshop, you should know that there's a boutique on site.
Another must: voodoo and hoodoo items. But be warned, many stores aren't worth the money and sell trinkets aimed at tourists. Our best address is Crescent City Conjure in the Faubourg Marigny. Here you can get your hands on herbs and roots, Gris-Gris, incense, oils, candles, divination items and tutti quanti, all of which offer protection, love, prosperity, luck and more.
Gourmet basket
A gourmet destination par excellence, it's impossible to leave the state without bringing back a few local flavors. The famous Cajun spices top the list, and Cajun Cowboy Kitchen's Red Magic spices are particularly popular with Louisianans. Hot sauces are also a must, and there's plenty to choose from here, ranging from Slap Yo Mama Cajun Hot Sauce to Crystal Extra Hot Sauce, not forgetting the must-try Tabasco (don't miss a visit to the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island). There's also alligator and alligator products, such as jerky, a spicy dried meat cut into strips. As for sweets, although pralines have their origins in Europe, those from Louisiana have quite a reputation here, and there are plenty of good addresses, particularly in New Orleans (Aunt Sally's, Leah's Praline, Loretta's Authentic Pralines, Southern Candymakers...)....).
Louisiana is also renowned for its delicious artisanal spirits, including the famous Sazerac cognac and rye whisky - not to be confused with the cocktail of the same name - available at The Sazerac House in New Orleans. Craft beers are also worth discovering, now ubiquitous across the state and the country.
Art & craft
There's no shortage of galleries and art markets in Louisiana. There are many renowned artists to discover, including photographer Frank Relle, painters Jean-Jacques Audubon, Alvin Batiste, Clementine Hunter, James Michalopoulos and George Rodrigue, and sculptor Clyde Connell. In New Orleans, drop by Julia Street, renowned for its art galleries, or one of the city's arts and crafts markets (Arts Market New Orleans, Secondline Arts & Antiques, Zele NOLA). For funkier works, we recommend Dr. Bob and his bursting folk art (his studio is in the Bywater district). Mention should also be made of the Baton Rouge Arts Market and the Bossier City Makers Fair.
Music
Music is omnipresent in Louisiana, from the jazz of New Orleans to the zydeco of Cajun country.
Record shops abound in Louisiana's largest city, from the Louisiana Music Factory on Frenchmen Street, renowned for its wide selection of local and independent music, to Euclid Records, where you can pick up a few old gems, to Lagniappe Records, our best independent address in Lafayette. We must also mention Floyd's Record Shop, although this record shop is now online only. Based in Ville Platte, it offers the finest selection of Cajun, zydeco and swamp pop music (for info and orders: flattownmusic.com/floyds-record-shop). You can also buy directly from the artists who perform in bars, on the street, at festivals, etc.
Tip: don't miss the famous Record Store Day, held across the country on the3rd Saturday in April, an event equivalent to Disquaire Day in France. The event takes place in independent record stores in partnership with artists and labels. It's a golden opportunity to get your hands on limited editions, reissues and preview releases. Bonus: there are often live performances by artists to mark the event.
Another souvenir to take home that's typically Louisiana: the washboard. This traditional percussion instrument of zydeco music is worn on the front like a breastplate, and the best ones are those made by Tee Don Landry (keyofzrubboards.com), son of metalworker Willie Landry who, in the 1940s, designed the washboard as we know it today.
Readings
If you like to read, there are several books we recommend: Bons temps roulés: Dans La Nouvelle-Orléans noire disparue, 1979-1982 by Bernard Hermann, presenting the melting pot of cultures and intermingling of music, colors and flavors in New Orleans, with never-before-seen images of the "Old Creole Queen"; New Orleans et le sud de la Louisiane by Gabriel Vitaux, a portrait of the city and Cajun country featuring some 730 photos; Up From the Cradle of Jazz: New Orleans Music Since World War II by Jason Berry, Jonathan Foose and Tad Jones, one of the best books on the subject and also including other musical styles such as hip-hop; The New Orleans Voodoo Handbook by Kenaz Filan, to learn all about this rather secretive religion, from its origins to recipes for concocting magic oils; Chained to the Earth : Voices from the Cotton and Sugar Cane Plantations by Lynette Ater Tanner, tales of former slaves on the plantations of Louisiana; La Route des Plantations by Charlotte Dubois, a beautiful book that plunges into the splendor of this bygone era.
And food lovers won't want to miss a cookbook by John Besh, Ryan Boudreaux, John Folse, Paul Prudhomme, Susan Spicer or Isaac Toups, celebrity chefs who share the best of Louisiana gastronomy with you.
