About Us

Louisiana Culinary Trails is a joint project of the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association (LTPA) and Compass Marketing, Inc. The venture promotes the state’s unique and diverse culinary landscape through the creation of seven regional trails: Creole Fusion, Capital Cuisine, Bayou Bounty, Prairie Home Cooking, Seafood Sensation, Red River Riches and Delta Delights. Each trail highlights restaurants and recipes, culinary experiences and food festivals for travelers and locals alike to enjoy.

LTPA is a membership trade association dedicated to promoting private sector growth for Louisiana’s tourism industry through marketing and educational opportunities. Its project partner, Compass Marketing, is an integrated marketing company with more than 20 years of experience working in the travel and tourism industry. The company boasts a publishing division; Coast360, a television station and website covering Alabama’s Gulf Coast; and VisitSouth.com, a comprehensive online travel guide to the South’s best destinations.  

Free cajun recipes, Free Creole recipes

Insider Tips to Exploring the Trails

Mad About Mudbugs

Across the Seafood Sensation Trail, and actually every other, you’ll find that Louisianans are mad about mudbugs. We can’t seem to get enough. But we will admit that peeling a crawfish may seem quite unappealing if you’ve never tried before. Here’s a primer, but you can always ask a local for a quick how-to. They’ll be happy to oblige.

  1. Hold the crawfish head in one hand and the tail in the other.
  2. Disconnect the tail by gently twisting it.
  3. Peel off a section or two of shell at the top of the tail.
  4. Pinch the tail at the bottom to release the meat.