Connect with us

Louisiana

Cuban families in Louisiana celebrate Christmas with traditional lechon feast

Published

on

Cuban families in Louisiana celebrate Christmas with traditional lechon feast


NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – For many Cuban families in Louisiana, Christmas means gathering for a traditional lechon, a pig roast that serves as the centerpiece of their holiday celebration.

Vivian Nieto, owner of Churro’s Cafe in Metairie, said the Cuban tradition parallels Louisiana’s French Acadian cochon de lait but uses distinct seasonings and preparation methods.

“The Cuban use, basically, is the garlic, the naranja agria, and salt,” Nieto said. “If you don’t add anything else, that would be perfect.”

Traditional mojo marinade starts with citrus and garlic

The marinade, called mojo, always starts with garlic and citrus, specifically bitter orange juice known in Spanish as naranja agria. Nieto adds cumin and oregano to the base mixture.

Advertisement

At her Cuban restaurant, Nieto uses a Boston butt instead of a whole pig and lets it marinate overnight.

“I remember when I was a kid, the night before, they cleaned, they marinated,” Nieto said. “In our family, we exposed our babies early to the big pig that gets seasoned and marinated the night before.”

Pig roasted all day on Christmas Eve

Like the Acadian cochon, the lechon is roasted all day on Christmas Eve. Nieto said the taste testing during preparation bonds families together.

“Not too many people realize how tight is Cuba with New Orleans,” Nieto said. “The food, you respond deeply.”

The pork is served with congri, black beans and rice with onions and garlic, and yuca.

Advertisement

Nieto said she finds deep joy in making food that connects Cuban culture across generations.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.

Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Louisiana

Red, Rock & Blue: Registration deadline approaches for tournament benefitting La. military charities

Published

on

Red, Rock & Blue: Registration deadline approaches for tournament benefitting La. military charities


BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Red, Rock & Blue charity softball tournament to benefit Louisiana military charities is quickly approaching.

SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

  • April 17 – April 19
  • BREC Oak Villa | Baton Rouge

Each team will get a three-game guarantee. There are different divisions for different skill levels.

Team registration is open to the public. You can register a team online.

The deadline to register is Friday, April 10.

Advertisement

Click here for more information about the 32nd annual charity slow-pitch softball tournament.

Past tournaments have been held in July, but the 2026 tournament was moved to spring for the cooler temperatures.

Red Rock and Blue typically gives $50,000 or more to military charities like The Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana and Gulf Coast Veterans each year.

The Caterie Reunion IV to benefit Red Rock and Blue is also set for August 15 at The Texas Club in Baton Rouge. More information on that event, including the musical lineup and ticket sales, is coming soon.

*WAFB is a sponsor and supporter of the Red, Rock & Blue non-profit organization.

Advertisement

Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.

Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.

Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.

Copyright 2026 WAFB. All rights reserved.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Louisiana

How carbon capture is becoming one of the biggest fights in Louisiana politics

Published

on

How carbon capture is becoming one of the biggest fights in Louisiana politics


Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Mark T. Guillory, second from right, speaks to fellow members of Save My Louisiana and, on the far left, State Treasurer Dr. John Fleming on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2025, outside the 19th Judicial District courthouse in downtown Baton Rouge. The group sued the state of Louisiana to challenge a law that allows companies seeking to do carbon capture to store the gas under private land. Fleming, a critic of carbon capture who is running for U.S. Senate, was present for the news conference held immediately after the lawsuit was filed. Guillory, a Rapides Parish resident, is one of the plaintiffs. Gary Musgrove, president of the group, is fifth from the right.



Source link

Continue Reading

Louisiana

Vehicle hits revelers, injuring about 15, at Lao New Year celebration in Louisiana

Published

on

Vehicle hits revelers, injuring about 15, at Lao New Year celebration in Louisiana


More than a dozen people were injured when a vehicle struck revelers at a parade celebrating the Lao New Year on Saturday in rural Louisiana, authorities said.

The driver was quickly arrested and charged with impaired driving, police said.

Video shared on social media showed multiple people on the ground at the annual event in Broussard and New Iberia. The videos showed firefighters tending to one person trapped beneath the car, which wound up in a ditch along the parade route.

About 15 people were hurt, some seriously, according to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Advertisement

“Based on the preliminary investigation, this does not appear to be an intentional act,” said a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, Rebecca Melancon.

Acadian Ambulance, a private ambulance company, said on social media that it responded to the emergency at around 2:30 p.m. and sent 10 ambulances and a helicopter to aid the injured. Two patients were airlifted, it said.

The Louisiana State Police said the driver, who is 57 and lived in Jeanerette, La., appeared impaired when police arrived and later tested positive for a high blood alcohol level. He was charged with impaired, negligent and careless driving and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle.

The parade is part of a three-day New Year celebration set in the Lanexang Village, a Laotian neighborhood near New Iberia with hundreds of families near the Buddhist temple grounds of Wat Thammarattanaram.

It features Southeast Asian food, live music, a parade and other family-friendly activities attracting thousands each year.

Advertisement

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry issued a statement on behalf of himself and his wife about the incident. “Sharon and I are praying for all those affected, and are grateful for the first responders who have responded to the scene,” he said.

The festival’s organizers issued a statement on Facebook saying they were “profoundly saddened” by the tragedy. “We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time,” it said.

Afternoon and evening events were canceled, but the festival planned to hold religious services Sunday, the organizers said.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending