Zatarain's Etouffee Base, 3.2 oz Box

I have to agree with the previous poster. This is about as close to New Orleans as you can get without traveling. I recommend only getting mixes that do not include rice. The dishes with rice are okay for eating "right now" but saving anything for later results in a swollen and mushy rice experience as the rice continues to absorb the liquids long after cooking is done. In New Orleans, these traditional recipes like etouffee, gumbo, creole, or beans with rice all have the rice cooked separate from the sauce or base. Keep that in mind and you're on a good path. You may also want to chop a small amount of the trinity (celery, onions, bell peppers) say a half cup each of celery and bell pepper, and a cup of onions, cook in butter or bacon grease (not the healthiest choice but adding it makes a huge difference), and cook until the onions are translucent. Dump these cooked veggies into your mix along with your mix and use chicken broth or Swanson's Cajun broth instead of water. Magnificent.

When I'm not in the mood to make Etouffee from scratch, Zatarain's is a tasty, easy alternative. Nice combination of spices and smooth consistency. Living in a Mountain state, it is difficult to find it; until, I went on line and found it at Walmart. The price is in line with what I paid for it when I lived down South. I make it with fresh shrimp and/or crawfish. It's also good with most types of sausage and chicken breast.