Official Meal of North Louisiana

The official state meal was established on May 4, 2015 to recognize the culinary uniqueness of North Louisiana (Oklahoma is the only other state to officially recognize a state meal). All Food Symbols

Chef Hardette Harris created the official meal from regional dishes that showcase North Louisiana’s culinary heritage. The menu offers a mix-and-match of main dishes, sides, and desserts favored by North Louisiana home-cooks. The meal also incorporates some of Louisiana's other official food symbols such as natchitoches meat pie, mayhaw, and strawberries. 

Text of the Resolution

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To recognize the culinary uniqueness of North Louisiana and to recognize its official meal.

WHEREAS, Louisiana is filled with abundant varieties in culture, tastes, and music, and is especially heralded around the world for its distinctive, savory foods; and

WHEREAS, Chef Hardette Harris, a well-known and respected North Louisiana culinary entrepreneur, has coined the phrase, "straight from the red dirt and fresh waters of North Louisiana, we offer you our soul in a bowl" and has cobbled a list of favorite dishes served in North Louisiana that express the flavor of the region; and

WHEREAS, while culinary staples like fried catfish, fried chicken, and barbecue ribs; fresh greens, peas, and beans cooked with smoked neck bones and ham hocks; rice and gravy, potato salad, and fried okra; hot water cornbread and homemade biscuits; desserts like sweet potato pie, pecan pie, and pound cake; and cool drinks like sweet tea may be found throughout the length and breadth of Louisiana, North Louisiana chefs make special claims to these and certain other dishes as tasting best when prepared by chefs from "up north"; and

WHEREAS, it is appropriate to recognize the proud cuisines birthed from the mix of ethnic heritages and identities that, blended together, produce these recipes for delightfully edible comestibles.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize the unique contribution North Louisiana has made to the flavors of the state and does hereby recognize the official meal of North Louisiana as consisting of a combination of one or more selections from the following dishes and courses:

List of Foods on the Menu of North Louisiana's State Meal

APPETIZER: Mini Natchitoches Meat Pie

MAIN DISH: Fried Catfish - Fried Chicken - Barbeque Ribs - Barbeque Chicken - Barbeque Smoked Sausage - Baked Ham

GREENS: Cabbage - Collards - Mustards - Turnips (cooked with smoked neck bones and/or smoked ham hocks)

PEAS & BEANS: Black eye - Purple hull - Pinto - Butter (cooked with smoked neck bones and/or smoked ham hocks)

SIDE DISHES: Baked Sweet Potato - Rice with Gravy - Potato Salad - Fried Okra

BREADS: Hot Water Cornbread - Skillet Cornbread - Homemmade Biscuits

DESSERTS: Sweet Potato Pie - Pecan Pie - Pound Cake - Peach Cobbler - Fruit Salad (sliced watermelon chunk topped with fresh blueberries, peaches and strawberries)

CONDIMENTS: Homemade Mayhaw and Plum Jelly - Cucumber. Tomato, Onion and Green Onion Salad - Hot Sauce - Homemade Pepper Sauce - Cane Syrup

BEVERAGE: Sweet Tea