[CH] Tabasco Tour/Lafayette
Naughyde (Naughyde@aol.com)
Fri, 9 Jan 1998 10:53:49 EST
I missed the Tabasco tour on my trip to Lafayette Louisiana (they were closed
new year's eve day) but my friend went. She said it was an ok tour, but they
keep you behind glass the whole time so you can't really get a sense of the
smells of the place. HOWEVER - she got this tip from her guide book - you can
ask to buy some of the 'mash' which is what is left over after they make the
sauce - then they will take you backstage and give you a couple of pounds of
this red moist stuff that reeks of Tabasco for a couple of dollars and you get
to see more of the inner workings of the place. They suggest you use the mash
as crab or shrimp boil, I haven't tried it yet. They say it is sold to make
Dentyne and I think cinnamon red hots! I might pack it into little sachets
for chilehead underwear drawers...
Also, you can get many different Tabasco products in the gift shop and even in
local supermarkets. I got Tabasco and garlic sauce for $1.50 or so, the
habanero variety was available but around $6. Also got Tabasco soy sauce,
pretty much what you'd think except they use a very tasty soy sauce.
We were able to take the Jungle Gardens tour on NYE day, you drive around and
walk around a big park-like area right beside the factory. There are lots of
flowers and some assorted critters, we saw nutria (big nuisance rat things)
and one alligator, a few egrets... Also sugar cane and rice are grown all
over that area, I hadn't seen that before.
Finally, I had some really great food in Lafayette, including grilled oysters
and soft shell crab. There was always a good assortment of hot sauces on the
table. And great fun was had new year's eve at Slim's Y-kiki club, where
zydeco reigned and the dance floor was packed.
Erica naughyde@aol.com