Culinary Maestro of Louisiana: John Folse From the Swamps to the Top: Revolutionizing Cajun Cuisine
Folse opened Lafittes Landing Restaurant in 1978 in Donaldsonville. He set out to market his restaurant by taking A Taste of Louisiana worldwide. He introduced Louisianas indigenous cuisine to Japan in 1985, Beijing in 1986, and Hong Kong and Paris in 1987. In 1988, Folse made international headlines with the opening of Lafittes Landing East in Moscow during the Presidential Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1989, Folse created the first Vatican State Dinner in Rome. Promotional restaurants were also opened in London in 1991 and 1993, Bogota in 1991, Taipei in 1992 and 1994, and Seoul in 1994. In 1988, Folse was named Louisianas Marketing Ambassador to the World by the Louisiana Sales and Marketing Executives and Louisianas Culinary Ambassador to the World by the Louisiana Legislature. cooking lay in the unique ingredients of C Louisiana's swamp floor pantry. Folse seasoned these raw ingredients with his passion for Louisiana culture and cuisine, and from his cast iron pots emerged Chef John Folse & Company. hef John Folse was born in St. James Parish in 1946. He learned early that the secrets of Cajun
Photo Credit: Country Roads Magazine
The international success of Lafittes Landing Restaurant spawned the incorporation of several other Chef John Folse & Company properties. He established his catering division at White Oak Plantation in 1986. Chef John Folse & Company Publishing has produced six Cajun and Creole cookbooks since 1989. Folses cooking series, A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Co., has been produced by Louisiana Public Broadcasting since 1990 and airs throughout America on PBS and is also syndicated internationally. Since 1991, Chef John Folse & Company Manufacturing has been producing custom manufactured foods for the retail and food service industry. It is one of the few chef-owned food manufacturing companies in America. The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. opened in October 1994. It is dedicated to the preservation of Louisianas rich culinary and cultural heritage. In August 1996 Folse began broadcasting his radio cooking talk show, Stirrin It Up The Best Tasting Show on Talk Radio. Exceptional Endings, the pastry division, was launched in 1996 to create specialty desserts, pastries and savories. In October of 1998, a fire destroyed the 200-year-old Viala Plantation, which housed Lafittes Landing Restaurant.
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