Chef John Folse's Fête des Bouchers

The French word, “boucherie,” actually means butcher shop, but it is also the word for an incredible social event that in the past brought together communities, and today unites lovers of Cajun culture across the state and country. Join Chef John Folse for his annual Fête des Bouchers, where he'll be joined by approximately seventy butchers and chefs from around the country to preserve this time-honored tradition.

For Folse, the event is dedicated to keeping Cajun food heritage alive by focusing on the educational aspect of the boucherie and teaching others how to make delicacies such as hog’s head cheese, andouille, boudin, smoked sausage, cracklins, and other spoils of the event.

Nothing is wasted at a boucherie. The intestines become the casings for andouille, boudin, and saucisse. The meat is cut into roasts, chops, and ribs. Hams are cured in sugar brine and then smoked. The head and feet are simmered with lean trimmings and seasonings for hours; then, the meat is cleaned, finely chopped and cooled until jelled to create hog’s head cheese. The skin is boiled down into cracklin's and lard. 8 am–3 pm. $85; $15 for children younger than twelve. whiteoakestateandgardens.com.