What’s not to love about bananas and rum?

Butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and dark rum – do I have your attention? Growing up in creole country, I especially love the region’s unique cuisine, which has been richly inspired by French, Spanish, West African, and American influences.

Bananas Foster is one dish that is especially unique to New Orleans, a hub for banana imports in the early 1950s. Bananas are cooked in a rum and butter mixture using a technique called flambé and then poured over ice cream.

While there are many variations of this incredible dessert, one of my favorite recipes comes from famed New Orleans’ chef Emeril Lagasse.

– Chad Tucker, The OJT 100