The Multi-Cultural Origins Of Louisiana's Official State Meat Pie

The Natchitoches meat pie is the official state meat pie of Louisiana, and its wide-ranging influences point back to the colorful mix of cultures that are woven together in the history of the region: Spanish colonial settlement, French Canadian influence, as well as that of Creole populations and Native Americans. A Natchitoches meat pie is filled with two types of ground meat, beef and pork, and a blend of flavors that are staples in Louisiana including Cajun spice (not Creole), onion, celery, and green bell pepper. There is a resemblance between Natchitoches meat pies and the empanadas found across Spain and Latin America, Jamaican patties, and West African meat pies. True to the state's vibrant reputation, a Natchitoches meat pie is all about flamboyant flavor.

The city of Natchitoches is named after the Native American tribe who lived in the region and who are believed to have introduced the meat pies in the 1700s. The city, founded by French-Canadian explorer and soldier Louis Juchereau de St. Denis in 1714, is also the oldest permanent European settlement in the Louisiana Purchase Territory. The pies might also have been influenced by the French pork and beef-filled paté brought during his arrival. It's also possible that Spanish soldiers introduced the snack as an adaptation of Spanish empanadas. The Creole community living in the area added their seasoned touch, which may have contributed to the flavor of the meat pies we know and love today. While the exact origins of this snack-time delicacy are often debated, the Natchitoches meat pies of today have multicultural roots.

Today the love for Natchitoches meat pies is widespread. Perhaps because the diversity of the meat pies' origins reflects the complex history of the region, meat pies have become a quintessential part of the Northern Louisiana culinary identity through the help and legacy of local residents' cooking. Lasyone's Meat Pie Kitchen is an example of an eatery putting Natchitoches meat pies on the map. In Lasyone's Creole Soul Food restaurant, you can enjoy meat pies with dirty rice, a meat pie breakfast served aside Creole-style eggs, and a meat pie platter to satisfy your craving. The dish is not only celebrated in its birth city, but is enjoyed and sold across Louisiana, and has even been adopted by other southern states, much like Hummingbird cake (another southern classic with roots elsewhere).

The Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival, held annually in September, is a celebration of the Louisiana dish that hails from the recipe books and kitchens of Natchitoches. Like the pies themselves, it is a cultural fusion of the region's heritage and spotlights a dish that has survived and evolved over the last 300 years. The first festival hit the Natchitoches streets in 2002 and has become a tradition that defines Louisiana's culinary tourism. It's the perfect opportunity to sample some of the best meat pie recipes passed down through generations.