Bourque's Supermarket

581 Saizan St., Port Barre, LA - (337) 585-6261

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Posted By Michael Stern on 12/12/2003 7:21:00 PM

An otherwise ordinary supermarket where the people of Port Barre come to buy Cheerios, potato chips, bacon, and eggs, Bourque's lured us off Highway 190 with a road sign boasting that it was "Home of the Original Jalapeno Sausage Cheese Bread." Having never even sampled any fakes or copies, we were eager to try the original. It is splendid: a round loaf, available in sizes big enough for two or a family, its gnarled dough chockablock with savory bits of sausage and hot pepper and melted cheese. We ate ours cold, off the dashboard of the car; but we can only imagine how extra-good this bread would taste if heated in the oven.

While browsing through Bourque's isles, we were reminded that a grocery store can be a vivid reflection of local taste – especially in this part of Louisiana. Shelves hold store-made roux, countless hot sauces and Cajun spice, tasso ham, giant jars of hog lard, and plenty of chicory coffee. The butcher's case included an awesome array of such ickies as chicken hearts, hog jowls, a variety of tripes, and one especially fearsome looking heap of animal protein labeled "beef bouille." We asked the butcher what it was. "Are you sure you want to know?" he grinned back at us. We gulped and nodded yes. "Oh, it's not really that bad," he said. "It's pieces of liver, kidney, sweetbreads, and hearts. For your sausage."

At the back of the store is a counter where ready-to-eat foods are sold. It's a fascinating selection, ranging from the mundane (a bland corn dog) to the magnificent (crusty boudin balls with creamy/savory insides and a superspicy afterburn). One of the best treats here are the store-made cracklins: bite-size nuggets of fried-crisp pig fat.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

Jalapeno Sausage Cheese Bread	Cracklins
Boudin Ball

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"This is a small round loaf of Jalapeno Sausage Cheese Bread, suitable for one or two people."
Michael Stern

"Here's the loaf of Jalapeno Sausage Cheese bread torn open to reveal the goodies laced inside."
Michael Stern

"When you hanker for lard and plenty of it, Bourque's has what you need."
Michael Stern

"This is where citizens of Port Barre and beyond come to do their grocery shopping. For tourists like ourselves, it is a fascinating look at the ingredients of the true Cajun kitchen."
Michael Stern

"This boudin ball is deep fried until crusty on the outside. The interior is moist and savory."
Michael Stern

"We never buy cracklins. They are too delicious, and we'd eat too many if we had an endless supply. The ladies behind the counter at Bourque's were kind enough to give us a tiny taste. Wonderful!"
Michael Stern

"Eek! Some items in the butcher's case were -- how shall we say it? -- not for those of delicate culinary sensibility. This beef bouille, made up of innards no one likes to talk about, is essential for serious boudin noir."
Michael Stern

"There's a sign like this out on Highway 190. It's what drew us to Bourque's, which is about a mile off the road."
Michael Stern