Boudin

This article is about the sausage. For the Geological feature see Boudinage. For the bakery see Boudin Bakery. For the French Impressionist painter see Eugène Boudin.

Boudin noir, before cooking.

Boudin (French pronunciation: [budɛ̃]) describes a number of different types of sausage used in French, Belgian, French Canadian, Creole and Cajun cuisine.

Types

Cajun-style fried Boudin balls

Cajun-style Boudin blanc that has been smoked.

• Boudin blanc: A white sausage made of pork without the blood. Pork liver and heart meat are typically included. In Cajun versions, the sausage is made from a pork rice dressing, (much like dirty rice) which is stuffed into pork casings. Rice is always used in Cajun cuisine, whereas the French/Belgian version typically uses milk, and is therefore generally more delicate than the Cajun variety. In French/Belgian cuisine, the sausage is sauteed or grilled. The Louisiana version is normally simmered or braised, although coating with oil and slow grilling for tailgating is becoming a popular option in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
• Boudin noir: A dark-hued blood sausage, containing pork, pig blood, and other ingredients. Variants of the boudin noir occur in French, Belgian, Cajun and Catalan cuisine. The Catalan version of the boudin noir is called botifarra negra.
• Boudin blanc de Rethel: a traditional French boudin, which may only contain pork meat, fresh whole eggs and milk, and cannot contain any bread crumbs or flours/starches. It is protected under EU law with a PGI status^[1][2].
• Crawfish boudin, popular in Cajun cuisine, is made with the meat of crawfish tails added to rice. It is often served with cracklins (fried pig skins) and saltine crackers, hot sauce, and ice cold beer.
• Boudin ball, a Cajun variation on Boudin blanc but instead of the filling being stuffed into pork casings, its rolled into a ball, battered, and deep fried.^[3]
• Boudin rouge: In Louisiana cuisine, a sausage similar to boudin blanc, but with pork blood added to it. It originated from the French boudin noir.
• Gator boudin, made from alligator, can be found sporadically in Louisiana & the Mississippi gulf coast.

In the United States

It is notable that when one refers to 'boudin' in the cultural region of Louisiana, Acadiana, it is commonly understood that one is referring to the Boudin Blanc and not to other variants. The Boudin Blanc is the staple boudin of this region and is the one most widely consumed. A notable exception is the seafood boudin consisting of crab, shrimp, and rice invented by Elton Bergeron in 1976. Cajun boudin is available most readily in southern Louisiana, particularly in the Lafayette and Lake Charles area, though it may be found nearly anywhere in "Cajun Country" including eastern Texas. There are restaurants devoted to the speciality, though boudin is also sold from rice cookers in convenience stores along Interstate 10. Since boudin freezes well, it is shipped to specialty stores outside the region. Boudin is fast approaching the status of the stars of Cajun cuisine (e.g., jambalaya, gumbo, étouffée, and dirty rice) and has fanatic devotees that travel across Louisiana comparing the numerous homemade varieties.

Le Boudin

Boudin gave rise to Le Boudin, the official march of the French Foreign Legion. "Blood sausage" is a colloquial reference to the gear (rolled up in a red blanket) that used to top the backpacks of Legionnaires. The song makes repeated reference to the fact that the Belgians don't get any "blood sausage", since the King of Belgium at one time forbade his subjects from joining the Legion.

References