Authentic jambalaya cook-off at Gonzales Jambalaya Festival

There’s no better time to test Gonzales’s “Jambalaya Capital of the World” claim than at the Jambalaya Festival held over Memorial Day weekend. Gonzales will once again host its annual four-day festival complete with carnival rides, a 5K race and 1-mile fun run, antique car show, live music, and above all, the World Jambalaya Cook-Off. Think barbecue contests are hardcore? It takes both stamina and a keen sense of timing to prepare authentic Cajun jambalaya in a cast-iron pot over hardwood. Contestants can only use regulation ingredients— long grain rice, chicken and their choice of an allowable list of spices and aromatic vegetables. The intense standardization ups the ante on the cooking process—the judges aren’t looking for over-the-top creativity, but perfect workmanship. For more information on the festival and cook-off, check out Maggie Heyn Richardson’s full article from 225 here. —Maggie Heyn Richardson