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Touring the ‘Boudin Capital of the World’ in Scott, Louisiana
By Tom Adkinson
May 12, 2023
Jan-Scott Richard, mayor of Scott, La., strikes a pose with the animal that made Scott the “Boudin Capital of the World.” Image by Tom Adkinson
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SCOTT, La. – The old ethnicity-based food joke about what constitutes a seven-course meal is turned on its head in this little south Louisiana town at Exit 97 on I-10 a few miles west of Lafayette.
One version of the joke used to be, “What’s a Cajun seven-course meal?” The answer was, “A link of boudin and a six-pack of beer.”
Here in Scott, there’s a better answer now: “A single beer and six links of boudin.”
There are two reasons: First, Scott has earned the designation of “Boudin Capital of the World” from Louisiana’s legislature. Second, there are enough boudin establishments here to make your head spin.
For the uninitiated, boudin is a squishy Cajun sausage whose basic ingredients are pork, rice, onions and various spices. Spirited debates occur about other ingredients and proportion, and boudin rivals crawfish as the quintessential food of Acadiana, the Cajun region of south Louisiana.
A server at Billy’s Boudin and Cracklins prepares to make another hungry customer happy. Image by Tom Adkinson
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The Best Stop Market, about 1.5 miles north of Exit 97 on Louisiana 93, started Scott’s boudin reputation in 1986. Others followed. Directly at the interchange now are Billy’s Boudin & Cracklins, Don’s Specialty Meats, NuNu Cajun Market and Fezzo’s. More are nearby, and it seems you can’t throw a crawfish shell without hitting another boudin joint.
Damon Cormier at the Best Stop Market summed up the situation in Scott very well in a promotional video.
Boudin links usually aren’t dressed up for food photography, but this shot proves the Cajun favorite is versatile. Image from Explore Louisiana
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“Best Stop isn’t afraid of competition. It keeps us on our toes. It just keeps us coming up with new products and trying to be the best we can be,” he said.
Scott’s mayor, Jan-Scott Richard, helps explain the town’s nickname by citing the volume of pork, rice and seasonings made and sold here.
“When we got our ‘Boudin Capital of the World’ designation in 2012, we were selling 2 million pounds of boudin a year. I’d venture a guess that it’s 3 million pounds a year now,” he said.
Aubrey Cole sells more than 700,000 pounds of boudin and crackins a year – and many pounds of his seasoning mix. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Don’s Specialty Meats alone sells more than 700,000 pounds of boudin a year, according to a magazine article owner Aubrey Cole displays in his store. The article says boudin and cracklins account for 50 percent of all sales at Don’s. Beer, chips, snacks, traditional convenience store merchandise and souvenirs (check out the specialized Mardi Gras beads with the ceramic pig ornament) add to the total.
The town launched a 3-day boudin festival in 2013, and it became a serious blowout every April that fills 5 or 6 acres with local boudin makers, arts, crafts and music. Attendance tops 30,000. (The 2024 festival is April 5-7, but if you crave a boudin festival before then, check out this autumn’s Lafayette’s Boudin Cook-off & Bacon Festival on Oct. 21.)
“It used to be that everyone just made boudin links, but the product has diversified,” Richard said, noting variations such as boudin balls, boudin tots, boudin with jalapeno peppers, smoked boudin and more.
Boudin tots and seafood boudin balls are popular dine-in and carryout items at Don’s Specialty Meats. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Seafood boudin came on the scene in heavily Catholic Southwest Louisiana, especially on Fridays, but you’re likely to find it all week in one place of another.
Smoked boudin is one of the cook-at-home packaged products from the Best Stop Market. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Boudin is such a cultural force that journalist, humorist and food writer Calvin Trillin recognized it, observing, “I figure that about 80 percent of the boudin purchased in Louisiana is consumed before the purchaser has left the parking lot, and most of the rest is polished off in the car.”
That’s why you always grab some extra napkins if you get a carryout order.
Trip-planning resources: scottboudinfestival.com, www.lafayettetravel.com and www.explorelouisiana.com
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