Louisiana’s Culinary Ambassador to the World

Born and raised in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Chef John Folse, CEC, is respected around the world as a leading authority on Cajun and Creole culture and cuisine. Folse grew up in a family of sugarcane farmers and great cooks, learning at a young age to utilize ingredients from the swamp floor pantry of south Louisiana’s Bayou Country.

Following the success of his Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant in Donaldsonville, Folse expanded into catering and manufacturing. Chef John Folse & Company is one of only a few chef-owned food manufacturing companies in the United States producing custom-manufactured foods. Bittersweet Plantation Dairy utilizes milk from local dairy farms to produce Fleur de Lis, Fleur de Teche, various flavors of yogurt and a local favorite, Creole cream cheese. Folse’s catering and events management division is housed at White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge.

Chef John Folse Folse has produced eight cookbooks in his Cajun and Creole series. He hosts his own television cooking show, broadcast on public television stations, and his syndicated radio show Stirrin’ It Up! can be heard nationwide.

Folse also completed the filming of Louisiana’s Food Heritage: The Encyclopedia Series, based on his best-selling cookbook, The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine.  A Certified Executive Chef, member of the American Academy of Chefs and past president of the Research Chefs Association, Folse represents the finest in culinary professionalism and has received numerous accomplishments.

CULA 279:  The Evolution of Cajun and Creole Cuisine

Chef John Folse is the instructor for CULA 279 and teaches students research and discusses the contributions of the seven nations that settled Louisiana: Native Americans, French, Spanish, English, Africans, Germans and Italians. In this capstone course, culinary students prepare dishes such as:

• Gumbo Des Herbes
• Duck-Andouille-and-Oyster Gumbo
• Crawfish Bisque
• Seafood Sauce Piquante
• Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
• Crabmeat and Shrimp Stuffed Mirliton
• Paella Valenciana
• White Chocolate Bread Pudding
• Louisiana Fig Ice Cream
• Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

“Louisiana food is best defined as the marriage of the ingredients, flavor and technique of Cajun and Creole country, with a classical plate presentation.”
J. Folse