Long before the Jazz Fest made cochon de lait poor boys famous, the central Louisiana town of Mansura had made the meat part of the state’s culinary language. On the eve of each Mothers’ Day (May 12-13 this year) the town celebrates its annual Cochon de Lait Festival. Several years ago while driving up La. Highway One, I first came upon the festival by accident.
A sign on the edge of the fairgrounds announced that Mansura is La Capitale de Cochon de Lait. That claim has remained unchallenged by other world capitals, nor is it questioned by the Louisiana town’s namesake, El Mansura, Egypt. Napoleonic soldiers who had received land grants to settle in Central Louisiana compared the area to the Egyptian town near where they had been stationed. Both Mansuras stood on fertile agricultural land; both were centers of cotton trade.
Pork, however, would come to best identify New Mansura, especially the young suckling pig from which cochon de lait gets its name. Roast pig, at any age, is the sustenance of many fundraisers in Avoyelles Parish. At church fairs, pig carcasses are strapped on frames to which flames ascend making the meat flavorful and the skin crispy. At Mansura the event is such an institution that there is even a building called the Cochon de Lait Center and a permanent roasting area. As I approached, the festival was made apparent by the traffic and the balloons along the highway, but most of all by a towering blow-up pig balloon, looking like Porky in overalls, waving with the wind to the crowd.
Beginning that Thursday evening there were various fair-like events at the site including contests testing those who sought to be future Olympians in Hog Calling, Beer Drinking and Boudin Eating. But the high holy moment of the festival came at noon Saturday when the serving began for cochon de lait and pork jambalaya. When I was there, three women, each wearing “St. Joseph Eagles” t-shirts, worked with vigor filling styrofoam trays with pork dinners. By tradition, people of Avoyelles, whenever there is a fair and pork is on the menu, purchase dinner tickets several days in advance in anticipation of getting meals to-go. Folks in that part of the state are early risers and know not to be late when cochon is served. Latecomers, and city folk, might need to settle for the hot dog stand.
By Sunday, the fires for roasting were dying out. Throughout the region, kitchen garbage cans were now filled with empty styrofoam cartons. Once again, the Cochon de Lait Capitale had serviced its constituents. Appetites were satisfied, and a newly crowned Hog Calling Champ walked the earth. Few kingdoms could provide so much.
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