Gumbo is getting a scholarly deep-dive in the French Quarter this fall. The Historic New Orleans Collection will center its 2026 Food Forum entirely on Louisiana's official state dish, bringing together chefs, historians, and culinary experts for a day of discussions, demonstrations, and a tasting event on November 7.
According to New Orleans CityBusiness, the forum will examine gumbo's history, regional variations, ingredients, and role in Louisiana culture. The event is presented by Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blends; HNOC's event listing says daytime panel discussions run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 410 Chartres St., followed by the evening Food Fête from 5 to 7 p.m. at 520 Royal St., with general public tickets priced at $35 beginning September 29.
A Headliner With National Culinary Credentials
Topping the bill is Dr. Jessica B. Harris, described per the CityBusiness report as the forum's headliner. Harris is a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award-winning food historian and professor emerita at Queens College, CUNY, whose 15 books include High on the Hog, according to background compiled by Simon & Schuster.
The panel roster also includes Wayne Baquet Sr., Frank Brigtsen, Ron Iafrate, Toya Boudy, and B.J. Dennis, per the CityBusiness account, along with Dustin Fuqua, Monique Verdin, and Ron Levy. Chef Frank Brigtsen, a James Beard Award winner and owner of Brigtsen's Restaurant, began his culinary career apprenticing under Chef Paul Prudhomme at Commander's Palace in 1979 before serving as the first night chef at K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen starting in 1980, according to Brigtsen's Restaurant — a direct line connecting a forum panelist to the event's namesake sponsor.
Creole Family Lineage And Atlantic Foodways
Wayne Baquet Sr. brings his own deep roots to the table. He represents a multi-generational Creole restaurant lineage dating back to the 1940s opening of the Paul Gross Chicken Coop, followed by Eddie's in the Seventh Ward and Li'l Dizzy's Café in Tremé, which Baquet founded in 2004, according to South Writ Large.
Panelist B.J. Dennis widens the geographic lens. The Charleston-based chef's okra and shrimp purloo has diaspora connections, according to Cooks Without Borders. His inclusion widens the conversation to diaspora foodways beyond Louisiana.
Filé-Making And Gumbo
The forum includes a discussion of filé-making, with anthropologist Dustin Fuqua among its participants.
Two more presenters bring living tradition into the room. Dianne “Gumbo Marie” Honoré, per the article, will lead a live cooking demonstration; she is a 7th-generation Creole historic interpreter and Big Queen of the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters Black Masking Indian Tribe, according to background from 64 Parishes. Fellow panelist Monique Verdin is an interdisciplinary storyteller and citizen of the Houma Nation advocating for coastal Indigenous food sovereignty, the outlet notes.
A Dish Written Into State Law
Gumbo is described as Louisiana's official state dish. CityBusiness reports the forum will center on that designation.
The event marks HNOC's latest use of its expanding French Quarter footprint — the institution recently marked its 60-year milestone and operates across more than 14 historic buildings.
