New Orleans beignets
Beignets · New Orleans, USA
Square fried dough brought by French colonists, with café au lait made with chicory.
Know before you go
- Don't wear dark clothes (the sugar will cover you)
- don't hog a table on the crowded terrace
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Wartime chicory coffee
Café du Monde opened in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1862, at first just a coffee stand. When coffee was scarce during the Civil War, New Orleans Creoles mixed roasted chicory root into their coffee, creating chicory coffee with a chocolatey note. More than a century later the menu has barely changed: chicory coffee, café au lait, and beignets served three to an order under a blizzard of icing sugar.
Source: Wikipedia: Café du Monde
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
In the 18th century French colonists and Acadians brought beignets to New Orleans, and they became an important part of Creole home cooking. The Louisiana beignet is square and made from yeast dough, and is one of only two official 'state doughnuts' in the US. Café du Monde in the French Quarter has been a coffee stand since 1862, the oldest café in New Orleans, and its menu has barely changed: dark-roast chicory coffee and beignets, heaped with powdered sugar and served three to an order. Coffee with chicory was developed by New Orleans Creoles during coffee shortages in the Civil War.
Local customs
Heaped with powdered sugar — don't breathe out or laugh while eating, or you'll be covered in white
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Driving in the US: what to do when police pull you over
- Signal right and pull over safely to the right
- Roll down your window after stopping, before the officer reaches you
- At night, turn on the interior light
- Keep both hands on the wheel and ask passengers to keep their hands visible too
- Getting out and walking towards the police car
- Suddenly reaching for the glovebox, a pocket or under the seat
Sudden movements may be read as a threat and become dangerous. The wording of the rules varies slightly between states.
Not yet verifiedSource: Texas Department of Public Safety driver handbook
Don’t DON'T
- Don't wear dark clothes (the sugar will cover you)
- don't hog a table on the crowded terrace
Locals appreciate DO
New Orleanians appreciate visitors who eat slowly while listening to street jazz.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Café du Monde is right next to Jackson Square
- combine it with the French Quarter in the city guide. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.
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