Tabasco

Last fall I was scheduled hearings in Houma, LA and I was excited. Most Americans have never heard of Houma, LA, let alone know how to pronounce it. (I still don't.) But I knew that on my long drive to Houma I would be passing right by Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce.

Located 40 miles south of Lafayette and across the freeway from New Iberia, Avery Island is in fact an island. 6 miles off the freeway and across a creek-sized body of water, stands the entrance booth where visitors must pay a $1 entrance fee. Although the booth is stationed on the passenger side of your vehicle, there is no need get out when traveling alone. The entrance man has a long pole with a clothes pin at the end of it with which he will reach inside your car to collect your dollar.

There is one and only one Tabasco factory and it is located here at Avery Island. Factory tours are free and start every 20 minutes or so. The tour consists of a gallery with historical artifacts, an 8 minute video, and a viewing gallery where you can see Tabasco sauce being bottled and packaged. The tour was not as extensive as the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory tours in Brenham, TX, but I did get free bottled samples of Tabasco Buffalo Sauce and Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce.

During the tour I learned several things about Avery Island and how Tabasco sauce is made.

• Avery Island is one of five salt dome islands on the Louisiana coast.
• The harvested salt is used to make Tabasco sauce.
• 40 acres of peppers grow on the island
• The same day peppers are picked they are crushed and mixed with salt.
• The pepper and salt mixture is loaded into barrels with extra salt dumped on top. 
• The mashed peppers ferment and age for 3 whole years.
• After 3 years, the mixture is poured into a vat with vinegar.
• The peppers and vinegar mix non-stop for 28 days.
• Tabasco peppers also grow in various places in Central and South America.
• The peppers are also used in other products including cinnamon gum, toothpaste and, not surprising, pepper spray.

After the tour, I walked on over to the Tabasco Country Store. It is here you can sample various Tabasco concoctions including Tabasco soda, ice cream, and jelly belly beans. I avoided the ice-cream but I foolishly tried the soda. I do NOT recommend it. The taste it left in my mouth was horrendous and it took days to recover. It was so bad, I started having vengeful thoughts against the McIlhenny Company. In the interest of pleasurable experiences and happy thoughts, avoid the soda.

In an unsuccessful attempt to get the soda taste out of my mouth, I walked next door to the food truck and ordered crawfish etouffee, my Cajun dish of choice. I commandeered the only table in the shade (it was warm then) and a tour bus driver soon joined me. He was from Mississippi and was driving French tourists on a trip through the South. They started their journey in Atlanta and were slowly making their way to Dallas with various stops along the way. Once in Dallas, Bus Driver would deposit his passengers and make the eight hour drive back to Mississippi alone. He said he was looking forward to that part of his trip and the solitude he'd enjoy. Earlier that day I had bemoaned all the time I wasted in the car. Bus Driver reminded me that road trips by yourself have at least some redeeming qualities. He also reminded me that I should talk to strangers more often - they have stories to tell and lessons to teach.

Yes, I'm wearing flip flops.

After lunch, I grabbed a quick shot of the Country Store. Bus Driver saw me do it and said I needed to be in the photo - to prove to people I was really here. So here's proof - I was here.

 

I have since forgiven McIlhenny for the horrible Tabasco soda incident (although I admit the vengeful feelings did resurface on my second visit) and I continue to use Tabasco in my meatballs and on my red beans and rice.

 

What do you use Tabasco sauce on?