What are the best food tours in New Orleans?

I have been a tour guide in New orleans since 2011, at the time of this writing that means I have been a tour guide for a quarter of my life! We currently don’t offer any food tours but I have been around long enough to know what some of the best food tours in New Orleans are. Read on as I tell you about the best food tours in New Orleans.

New Orleans cuisine is truly a diverse melting pot of various culinary traditions, including French, Spanish, African, Native American, and Caribbean influences. This fusion has given rise to unique dishes such as gumbo, jambalaya, and beignets, which blend different cooking techniques and ingredients to create complex and flavorful meals​.

For example: Gumbo, one of New Orleans most iconic dishes, is made with a roux, which is traditional French sauce using butter and flour. Local cooks had to adapt to New Orleans’ hot climate by substituting lard. Lard has a much higher smoking point, meaning you can get a much darker roux. This is known as a chocolate roux. The word Gumbo comes from an African word for okra which was brought to Louisiana by enslaved Africans. In addition most locals add file at the end of cooking gumbo which is made from dried sassafras leaves, which is indigenous to Louisiana. By understanding this you can understand that New Orleans cuisine is truly a gumbo of various cultures from all over the world, creating something wholly unique.

Here’s a different idea: do a cooking demonstration at the New Orleans School of Cooking. You can learn to cook Cajun and Creole recipes, taste them, and have beer and wine with your meal. consider the “sit, watch, learn, drink, eat” version rather than the cook-it-yourself version and you can watch how the food is made and have as many drinks as you’d like!

For food enthusiasts, Doctor Gumbo Tours offer a culinary adventure through New Orleans’ iconic dishes like gumbo and po’ boys, combining history with delicious tastings. Pretty much loved by everyone Dr. Gumbos food tours go to all the best restaurants in the French Quarter. They expertly weave the history of New Orleans with it’s most famous food and drinks! ​

Learn more about these tours by clicking on this link

Considered by many the ultimate food tour. Tastebud tours has been offering food tours for over 15 years. They know what they are doing. Explore New Orleans unique foods with these experts and very affordable prices. While the tour doesn’t include cocktails you can get them on your own. Their French Quarters Best Food Tour: Signature Flavors of New Orleans includes visits to five different French Quarter restaurants so you get a wide range of options and is a great overview of New Orleans cuisine.