There is a bean parade in New Orleans.
Now, before you say, “This girl is obsessed with beans, who cares?” This bean parade is a story of tradition, creativity, community, and fun, so stick with me.
It’s true. My love for beans goes beyond most people's, but if you read this newsletter enough, you might also start to have a little crush on them.
If you’ve ever lived in New Orleans, you know what Mardi Gras really is. What I once thought was a week of parades actually runs from the Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas ) to Ash Wednesday, which is March 5th this year.
During these weeks of celebration, there are many different festivities. The traditions of parades and krewes are deeply rooted and reflect the diversity and history of the New Orleans community. There can also be krewes to celebrate anything really, like The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus or the Krewe of Barkus to celebrate dogs.
This brings us to the Krewe of Red Beans, founded in 2009, which is known for its homemade red bean mosaic costumes (and iconic bean car), a tribute to New Orleans' culinary tradition of red beans and rice. Today, there are three bean parade routes, and five parade Sub Krewes (Red Beans, Dead Beans, Feijão, Mung Beans, and Queer Beans!!!!
The parade's founder is Devin DeWulf, who I heard interviewed on a Future of Fork podcast episode. The story goes that Devin didn’t grow up eating beans, but while living in Brazil, he realized his love for beans. After visiting New Orleans to volunteer with post-Katrina relief, he realized that New Orleans was similar to Brazil culturally and that they also loved beans.
Costuming is a big part of parade culture, and according to Devin, it has to be handmade. He said, “The act of putting so much effort into a costume can be transformative when you put it on.” In preparation for the parade, his krewe glues beans on jackets and other items to make works of art, which, he points out, also builds community.
It’s been 15 years since the start of the bean parade, and in recent years, Devin has created a community center and cultural space called Beanlandia!! You can learn more about the Krewe and this year’s parade here .
Beyond beans, I find New Orleans one of the only places that encourages people to be creative. Something about working on a handmade costume for months and being in community in the streets is so polar opposite to how most of us live our lives in isolation. Thank you, New Orleans and Devin, for creating a bean parade. It’s officially on my wish list to get there next year.
For more bean parade content, check out this beautiful video from the Camellia bean brand that sponsors the bean-mobile every year.
Gems of the Week 🦄
Archestratus had a bake sale for LA fire relief. I made unicorn cookies, and dozens of local bakers made incredible treats. They are having another one on 2/8, so please check it out!
Progressive Hedonist podcast - from Dana Cowin, the former Editor and Chief of Food & Wine, exploring the power of food to fight climate change. I listened to the episode on The Beauty of Zero Waste with Chef Douglas McMaster.
Beanstory - another stunning bean company. More on this in the coming weeks.
I made brioche bread from
’s cookbook. It wasn’t that hard, and it was so soft and happy.
Lentils for Lunch ✨
I finally found a perfect lunch I can throw together in about 7 minutes.
You have to have lentils already made, which I did from
’s lentil newsletter last week.Microwave some lentils, toast a piece of toast, grab a handful of lettuce, add pickled onions and a tiny bit of feta cheese - done! And sauerkraut if you are me.