Back in the early 1980s, Lafayette attorneys, Jimmy Domengeaux and Kyle Gideon sensed a problem — many Cajun mom-and-pop butcher shops were getting squeezed out by the explosion of grocery superstores throughout Acadiana. “The country butchers in Acadiana, in many ways, represent the best of Cajun and Creole culture, many of which have been run by a single family for generations,” Domengeaux explained. “A Cajun butcher knows how to make perfect use of the delicacies provided by a slaughtered hog, including making chaudin (the lining of the pork stomach stuffed with pork), hog’s head cheese, sausage, cracklins and our favorite — boudin.”
So, Domengeaux and Gideon thought it only right to patronize these multi-generational butcher establishments and sample their favorite delicacy throughout the boudin trail. What better way to do it than with a few of their closest friends on the way to the Cajun mecca — Fred’s Lounge in Mamou, an hour’s drive from Lafayette. Their buddies decided to support the cause, and the movement — dubbed by Domengeaux as Boudin for Peace — grew. “We figured that if everybody ate boudin, there would be no more wars,” he said with a smile.
In fact, so many fellow boudin lovers were on board that the founders had to charter a party bus for the inaugural event in 1994. Traditionally held the Saturday before Mardi Gras weekend, Boudin for Peace begins in downtown Lafayette around 7 a.m., when the revelers load up with a few beer- and Bloody Mary-stocked ice chests. On the pilgrimage to Mamou, the buses trek throughout the countryside from North Lafayette to rural parts of St. Martin, St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes, stopping at legendary boudin shops like Don’s Specialty Meats in Carencro, Billy Ray’s in Opelousas, and Charlie T’s Specialty Meats in Breaux Bridge. “We hold conversations with the people there,” Domengeaux shared. “It’s a great cultural experience.”
For these mom-and-pop grocers, their boudin is like a work of art. It’s a significant undertaking — the pride that goes into it and the final product. It varies so much from place to place.
After each stop, the guys rate the boudin according to categories like meat-to-rice ratio, green onion content, girth and Domegeaux’s “kiss of death” — the liver factor. “For these mom-and-pop grocers, their boudin is like a work of art,” Domengeaux explained. “It’s a significant undertaking — the pride that goes into it and the final product. It varies so much from place to place.”
Around 10 a.m., the buses arrive at their final destination — Fred’s Lounge, launched by the late Fred Tate in 1946. After his passing in 1992, his widow, Tante Sue, ran the hot spot, greeting customers with a bottle of Hot Damn (cinnamon schnapps) drawn from a holster around her waist. Open only on Saturdays from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Fred’s features live Cajun music, Bloody Marys (known as Fred’s Omelette) and $2 Schlitz. “We’d arrive like a bunch of conquering war heroes,” Domengeaux described. “Tante Sue would greet us with Hot Damn, and we’d walk in and have a big time.”
After a couple of hours of dancing and revelry, they would return to the buses and make more boudin stops, usually ending at Poche’s Market in Breaux Bridge. Next came the announcement for Best Boudin, and Boudin for Peace’s most coveted award — Mr. Boudin. “Mr. Boudin is really like a derelict award,” Domengeaux said with a laugh. “He is the person who emulates the best qualities of Boudin for Peace — the enthusiasm, the dedication, the patronization and the promotion of boudin.”
Around 5:30 p.m., the festivities end, and the buses return home. “Put a fork in us, we’re done,” Domengeaux sighed. Over time, Boudin for Peace grew to three busloads, and now holds steady at two. Now, the next generation, including Domengeaux’s son, James Domengeaux, Jr., William Bayard, Ryan Denny, Raymond Blanco, Jr. and Robert Autin, owner of Acadian Superette, is taking over the group. “Over the last several years, Kyle and I have more or less turned over the leadership of this traveling culinary troupe to younger folks,” Domengeaux explained. “Autin is a great example of carrying on what he learned on Boudin for Peace. He’s making his own boudin and doing all kind of stuff.”
But Domengeaux has one criticism of these “Young Turks” — the bastardization of boudin. “Kyle and I are ‘boudin purists,’ Domengeaux declared. “We feel like a traditional boudin link is the only way to eat boudin, casing and all. Some of these younger fellows go berserk over fried boudin balls, boudin eggrolls. We even see boudin balls dipping sauce. Really? We call that a violation!” As an integral part of the Cajun culture, Domengeaux hopes Boudin for Peace continues for many generations.
“Boudin is a food of peace. If diplomats would serve hot boudin at hostile summits instead of croissants and cheese, former enemies would be hugging and high-fiving instead of fighting and backstabbing,” he joked.