When you’re ready to let the good times roll, there’s no place like New Orleans to cut loose, indulge in local grub, sip something intoxicating, and soak up the atmosphere while tapping your toes to some of the best music on the planet.

New Orleans was born as a port city in 1718. What set New Orleans apart then (and now) is how it created a unique culture from the diverse people who populated the city. New Orleans got its defining characteristics — a sense of hospitality, its food, its music — from enslaved and formerly enslaved people, Native Americans, and immigrants from France, Spain, the Caribbean, and Italy.

There’s a lot to see and do, but if we’re being honest, the real draws are food and music — and the annual street party that brings them together: Mardi Gras.

In this episode, we dig into a little bit of history and a whole lot of music and food, including the magic of jambalaya and the difference between cajun and creole. We also tell you how to find the best parades during Mardi Gras and get real about a haunted house. 

Then we recommend great books that took us there on the page:

The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin

https://bit.ly/3Jt5uAE

The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings

https://bit.ly/3wJOYVy

Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin’ in New Orleans by Mason Hereford, JJ Goode

https://bit.ly/3kYvDNs

Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum

https://amzn.to/3JpVb0b

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata

https://bit.ly/3XS5Bu6

For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes at https://strongsenseofplace.com/podcasts/2023–02–20-new_orleans

Transcript: https://strongsenseofplace.com/transcriptions/46_new_orleans_transcript

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