Louisiana Coastal Cooking

LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING explores the foodways of the Louisiana Gulf Coast through a 13-part road trip to small communities and remote places, often by boat, to showcase the regional cuisine of the state’s bayous and waterways. On this culinary journey, viewers meet the resilient locals working to preserve their homes, culture, and traditions. Each episode celebrates the bounty of Southeast Louisiana and raises awareness about coastal restoration through the lens of food. The series presents sustainable fare from chefs and home cooks who share recipes that capture the unique flavor of the Mississippi River Delta. Louisiana’s coastline is the center of the state’s economic, cultural and environmental identity. This complex and fragile ecosystem is disappearing at an alarming rate. Louisiana has more than 40 percent of our nation’s wetlands but over the past 90 years has lost more than 1,800 miles of land, roughly the size of Delaware. While experts work to develop solutions for coastal protection and restoration, the rapidly changing coastal map is affecting the future and hopes of the communities along the bayous of the Gulf Coast. The talented home cooks featured in the series are equally involved in the coastal restoration mission, sharing their traditions as cook-off contestants, outdoorsmen and community advocates. In addition to foodways, LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING explores the steps that local communities are taking to protect their environments, cultural identities, and ultimately their way of life.