Gumbo!

Food Forum: Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street Food Fête: Tricentennial Wing, 520 Royal Street Registration $50 per person HNOC Members: September 22 General public: September 29 Official state dish of Louisiana, enduring metaphor for our cultural melting pot, and pure taste sensation, gumbo is a many-splendored stew. The 2026 Food Forum invites food lovers to explore the rich history and cultural significance of gumbo through a full day of conversation, storytelling, and expert insight. Headlined by renowned food historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris, this year’s forum will examine the dish’s origins, regional variations, and deep community connections through engaging panel discussions and interactive sessions. From heirloom rice and Gulf seafood to cast-iron pots and treasured family recipes, this forum celebrates gumbo as a living expression of Louisiana’s culinary heritage. The day will conclude with a festive Food Fête, where guests can continue the conversation while tasting a variety of gumbos inspired by the traditions explored during the forum. The Food Forum will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at HNOC’s Williams Research Center at 410 Chartres Street. The Food Fête tasting will take place at 520 Royal Street from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets to the Food Forum and Food Fête are available for purchase separately. Food Forum: $50 per person Optional lunch and cooking demonstration: $45 per person (add to forum registration) Food Fête tasting: $35 per person (separate ticket) Registration opens to HNOC members on September 22 and to the general public on September 29. Not a member? Join today. 5–7 p.m. | 520 Royal Street $35 per person After the Food Forum, join us for the Food Fête to taste a variety of gumbos inspired by diverse Louisiana traditions paired with an open bar featuring white wine, champagne, and a signature cocktail. Admission to the Food Fête requires a separate ticket. Learn more and reserve tickets while spots last! Food Forum sessions will take place at HNOC’s Williams Research Center from 9:45 a.m.–4:45 p.m., located at 410 Chartres Street. The Food Fête will take place at 520 Royal Street from 5–7 p.m. and requires a separate ticket. Daniel Hammer, president and CEO, Historic New Orleans Collection Dr. Jessica B. Harris, author and historian Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres Street 10:45 a.m. From the Garden: The Holy Trinity to Sassafras Monique Verdin, art maker, wild gardener, story keeper, and a citizen of the Houma Nation From the holy trinity to sassafras leaves, the flavors of south Louisiana carry generations of story within them. In this talk, Verdin traces a path from the wild garden to the table, exploring how onion, celery, and bell pepper, staples of Gulf South cooking, sit alongside native plants long tended and gathered by the Houma people. Drawing on her work as a wild gardener and steward of the Land Memory Bank and Seed Exchange, Monique will share how plants hold the memory of Indigenous foodways, and how growing, harvesting, and cooking remain living practices of cultural continuity for Louisiana communities amid a rapidly changing landscape. 11:15 a.m. Picking and Pounding: Foraging Sassafras for Gumbo Filé Dustin Fuqua, anthropologist and “The Filé Man” This presentation outlines the traditional, ethnobotanical process of foraging and handcrafting gumbo filé from sassafras leaves (Sassafras albidum). Grounded in Indigenous Choctaw and Houma knowledge, Creole and Cajun foodways, and seasonal ecological cycles, the filé-making tradition embodies cultural exchange and emphasizes sustainable hand harvesting to protect vulnerable sassafras habitats. The project highlights the step-by-step folk tradition of foraging, slow curing, de-stemming, and pounding dried leaves into powder using a traditional mortar and pestle (pile et pilon). Dedicated to the memory of Louisiana tradition bearer John Oswald Colson, the initiative addresses cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and the revitalization of Louisiana’s living culinary heritage. 11:30 a.m. The Rice Beneath the Roux Ron Levy, PhD, Louisiana State rice specialist, LSU AgCenter (retired) Retired Rice Extension Specialist Dr. Ronnie Levy began his career with the LSU AgCenter in 1979 as a county agent serving Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis Parishes, where he worked extensively with youth through the 4-H program and built a foundation of service rooted in education and community engagement. He later served as county agent and parish chair in Acadia Parish, where he became widely recognized for his leadership in developing one of the most successful extension programs in Louisiana. In 2017, Dr. Levy returned to Acadiana to serve as the LSU AgCenter’s state rice specialist at the H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, a role he often described as his “dream job.” Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Levy has received numerous honors, including the 2023 Rice Ind