Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole Seasoning is exactly that! It’s the only Creole seasoning that I reach for regularly. In fact, it’s the only one I use. Period.
Welcome to the home of Tony Chachere’s Famous Creole Seasoning
So you can imagine my excitement when I realized that we would need to pass right by the Tony Chachere headquarters, in Opelousas, on our way back to Ladybug.
We were welcomed warmly when we arrived. The woman who greeted us told us to take a peek at the factory and to watch a documentary about Tony Chachere and his family. The film was wonderful! The factory spectacular!!!
But it was the shop in front that grabbed most of my attention. I made sure to stock up on a variety of spice blends. I really wanted Tony’s cookbook. But unless there’s a Kindle version, I sadly don’t have room on the RV.
Tony Chachere Doll
Photo Credit: Website
What I did have room for was the absolutely adorable Tony Chachere 10-inch doll. Steve didn’t even bother to ask me if I wanted him. He knew that I would not be able to leave the store without him. So Chef Tony has now joined our little menagerie of critters that we have collected in our travels. They inhabit the passenger seat when we are stationary.
Now for some background. In Creole homes especially, cooking seems to be a religious activity. It’s one of the reasons we love Louisiana so much. Dining is part of celebrating life with friends and family. Food not only feeds your hunger, it also feeds your soul.
Tony Chachere’s Country Store
Tony Chachere – pronounced sa-shur-ee – was born in 1905. He grew up surrounded by this rich culinary heritage.
Louisiana has one of the most fascinating culture in America. It was originally colonized by France. Africans settled there, followed by Spaniards and people from the Caribbean. This created a melting pot of both Cajun and Creole communities which influenced the language and music. But most importantly it influenced the food.
That’s a lot of Creole Seasoning!!!
As a young age, Tony showed natural talent, creativity and panache for cooking. Eventually that earned him a reputation as a chef. Over his lifetime spent around Acadiana he became known as the “Ole Master” of Cajun cuisine. He had a fishing and hunting camp in the Atchafalaya Swamp near Opelousas. The camp became legendary as a haven for gourmets. His culinary exploits delighted dignitaries as well as just regular people from all around the world.
When Tony finally retired in 1970 he wrote and published the Cajun Country Cookbook. In this book he included the recipe for his favorite homemade seasoning blend. That blend became so popular that demand for it exploded. In 1972, Tony started to manufacture his now famous Creole Seasoning.
Chef Tony Chachere inducted into the Louisiana Chefs Hall of Fame
In March 1995, Tony was honored by becoming the first inductee into the Louisiana Chefs Hall of Fame. Sadly he died just one week later. Tony was just shy of his 90th birthday.
Seasoning so good Steve wants some right in his mouth!
Today, Tony Chachere’s legacy lives on. In fact it has grown from the original Creole Seasoning to the addition of a Bold and new No-Salt blends. The family of products now also includes almost everything Creole. Online and in the wonderful headquarters store you can find shelves stocked with salad dressings, marinades, dinner mixes, roux and gravy mixes. There’s even a highly regarded bloody mary mix. Tony Chachere’s has been making everything taste great for over 50 years.
