What Cajun rice sausage is a popular Southern dish?

Boudin is the Cajun rice sausage popular in Southern Louisiana. Cajun boudin is typically made with pork, cooked rice, onions or green onions, and seasonings, then stuffed into sausage casings.

The sausage developed from French and European traditions that became part of Louisiana’s food culture. In rural Acadiana, boudin was historically connected with communal hog butcherings, where cooks used pork and available organ meats to make a filling that was flavorful, filling, and economical.

Boudin is often confused with andouille, but they are different sausages. Andouille is generally a coarser, smoked pork sausage, while Cajun boudin has a soft rice-based filling. Traditional recipes may include pork liver, although modern versions can use other meats or seafood, including crawfish, shrimp, alligator, or crab.

Boudin is sold by the link or pound at butcher shops, grocery stores, and convenience stores across Cajun Country. It can be steamed, grilled, or removed from its casing and fried into boudin balls. Scott, Louisiana, has even promoted itself as the “Boudin Capital of the World.”