Boudin: A Louisiana Favorite Now Found in the Lowcountry

by Amethyst Ganaway & Grace Aguilar

If you drive across Louisiana, you’ll find boudin at most of your stops. Boudin is a sausage made by encasing most commonly pork, liver, rice, seasonings, and spices, then cooked by steam or smoking. It’s a dish that has no barriers; it can be made into an upscale dish or humbly eaten with bread as a sandwich. One thing is certain, boudin has a unique history with its creators who are Acadians or “Cajuns” and Louisiana Creoles—and has even found fervent followers of the rice sausage across the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

Acadians are the descendants of people who were exiled from Nova Scotia when they denied an oath of allegiance to British rule, and were ordered by Colonel Charles Lawrence to be deported to places like Georgia, South Carolina, and Louisiana in 1755. The Acadians, now who are more commonly referred to as Cajuns, started to intermingle with other settlers like the French, Spanish, Germans, enslaved West Africans and Creoles that lived in South Louisiana.

This melting pot of culture would then influence the creation of boudin’s influence. In part, boudin comes from the Cajun tradition of “boucherie”— times where the community congregates to slaughter a whole hog and uses every single part of the animal since there was no form of refrigeration at the time. The forcemeat of boudin (chicken or pork livers and rice) was turned to pudding and then inserted in the intestine lining, which comes from its German influence, similar to the German influence of liver pudding in South Carolina. Cajun boudin was changed from the more traditional French boudin blanc, which is made of veal, chicken, cognac, and cream and it would be the West African influence by adding rice (a crop grown in abundance by enslaved West Africans in both South Carolina and Louisiana) to the pudding for it to be more filling.

Across Louisiana, there are many places where boudin can be purchased, and of all varying types. In Lake Charles, it is uncommon to have liver inside boudin, which is contrary to its neighboring towns like Jennings, Broussard, or Scott where liver is essential to give the boudin its distinct taste. But crawfish boudin or seafood boudin that is deep fried with pepper jack cheese, an egg roll boudin, or even a boudin king cake can also be found.

In the Lowcountry, boudin has more recently found new fans for the rice-based sausage. Its similarities to the beloved liver pudding or rice pudding found in grocery stores and gas stations across the state make it an easy swap. For the Burbage Meats family, making their boudin from scratch came from one man’s curiosity and love for Cajun culture and food, and for an increasing need to supply the demand of travelers, Lowcountry locals, and Louisiana natives who were missing the flavors of one of their tastiest pieces of home.

Founded by William “Junior” Augustus Burbage in 1953, Burbage Meats has been a staple butcher and shop since 1953. But Burbage, the youngest of his parents’ 14 children, got his start in the meat business in the 1940’s, when he would make sausages to sell at his job as a railroad worker. In the 1950’s when Burbages opened, William obtained a recipe for German liver pudding. He added it to the Burbages shop, and after it became such a hit, had the Burbage recipe patented.

Scott Hodges, butcher and co-operator of Burbage Meats, has been making boudin fresh every week for about two years now after finding out about the dish from watching the show Duck Dynasty. Scott did his research and found authentic, old school recipes of how boudin was made, and was stunned by its similarities to pudding and wondered why boudin itself wasn’t more popular in the Lowcountry.

The Burbage’s boudin is simple; they use chicken liver, local rice, their special blend of hot (spicy) seasonings, and onions. One Thursday, Scott made a test batch of boudin and posted about it to the Burbage social media pages. By that Friday morning he had sold out of the boudin in an hour. He was shocked and surprised that so many expats from Louisiana and Texas were calling for it. He’s noticed that across the Lowcountry, people love the more traditional Louisiana style, but Scott loves playing on the similarities between the two places and makes special boudin blends like Lowcountry shrimp boudin and smoked oyster boudin.

LoLA Lowcountry Louisiana Seafood Kitchen has gained popularity as Charleston’s premiere dining destination for a blend of South Carolina and Louisiana’s cuisines since 2010. Serving everything from authentic crawfish boils, gumbo, etouffee, and Pimm’s cups, LoLA uses boudin across its menu in a variety of ways. Jefferey Filosa, owner and chef at LoLA, first began hand-making their boudin, but now gets their boudin from a direct source in Louisiana, as the food truck and restaurant grew.

One of his favorite ways to serve it at the restaurant, however, is his own spin on the classic dish. The Smoked Pork Belly & Pan Roasted Boudin on their menu is made with dirty rice and a local blueberry barbeque sauce. The combination of flavors is incredible, with the barbeque sauce providing sweetness and bite to round out the richness of the pork belly and boudin. Guests can also try the boudin shaped into balls, deep fried, and served with a tangy sauce; or try the Red River Parish Boudin, served with rice and gravy, which is an homage to both the Lowcountry and Louisiana’s love of rice and meat served with a tasty sauce. LoLA’s has been instrumental in introducing the Lowcountry to boudin and Louisiana’s range of cuisine, sharing the amazing flavors that come from both.

Boudin is a rich dish with an even richer history. How its German roots found its way into Louisiana to create one dish, and into the Lowcountry to create another is a testament to the people who love its unique taste across the South and beyond. A simple sausage made with rice and meat as its base, has been transformed as a way to encapsulate the cultures that make and eat it. Whether it is in South Louisiana or in South Carolina, boudin is here to stay as a Cajun and Creole delicacy.