Our Story
Kajun Kettle Foods is a food processor servicing the broad line foodservice, custom foodservice, industrial ingredient, and co-pack markets nationwide. Our production facility is located in the Greater New Orleans area.
Drawing on the rich culinary culture of New Orleans, we began building our reputation with ready-to serve fresh pastas and sauces, including our famous Crawfish Monica®, a New Orleans Jazz Fest favorite.
Through twenty five years of innovations and expansion, our savory, authentic New Orleans and Italian-style sauces, soups, entrees and side dishes have earned the trust and admiration of chefs, restaurants and foodservice operators nationwide.
Most recently, our Arom-Max™ line of delectable stock concentrates, sauces and Demi-Glace have added the classic taste of France to our offerings.
From customizing flavors for your signature dishes to producing finished, ready-to-use products, we will fulfill your R&D and production needs with your requirements in mind. Explore our site and see what we can do for you.
What's New at Kajun Kettle?Kajun Kettle Goes to the Conventions
Selected to prepare food for the group Friends of New Orleans at both the Democratic and Republican Conventions, Kajun Kettle regaled the attendees in Denver and St. Paul with Crawfish Monica®, Crawfish etouffee, BBQ Shrimp po' boys, Shrimp Gumbo, and Muffulettas. They used only Louisiana seafood, and their dishes were raved about by all those there, including Senator Mary Landrieu, Lt. Governor, Mitch Landrieu, the French Ambassador, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Anderson Cooper and many others. Famed Restaurateur Ralph Brennan was the Emcee as well as one of the organizers.
- Posted November 4, 2008
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Kajun Kettle Foods Announces Marketing, Operations and R&D Positions
Kajun Kettle Foods, Inc,. an award-winning, New Orleans-based food manufacturer and creator of Crawfish Monica®, introduces employees to fill key marketing, operational and R&D positions at the company’s 86,000 sq.ft. USDA facility.
- Posted November 3, 2008
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Flavor Technology and R&D in the Food Industry
I saw an article recently in Newsweek about Food Technology and how it is influencing the manufacturing Industry as a whole. It mentioned that there is a fear that manufactured food flavors are ‘taking over’ the industry and affecting the natural process of allowing flavors to develop on their own.
Actually, flavor enhancers have been around for centuries- salt, for example, was discovered and used in food since at least 6000 BC. In many cultures, MSG is also a very popular and frequently used ingredient- though many do not consider it to be particularly healthy.
Nevertheless, most of us prefer to consume foods that are the closest thing to a natural state as possible- with the theory that that is the healthiest and best-tasting alternative.
People seem to prefer big taste sensations when they eat out or when they are cooking up a special meal for family or friends. The caloric content may not be as important as producing a memorable, exciting flavor profile that is original yet evocative, comfort food but exciting as well.
When our R&D department sets about to manufacture a new food for a client, they of course first take the customer’s specifications into consideration. The client will sometimes have a favorite recipe that they want to duplicate, sometimes they will instead have a general idea of what taste profile they prefer, and sometimes they will bring a new item in and ask us to duplicate it.
Our R&D chef, Michael Morrison, has this to say, “The catch-word is Culinology, a blend of culinary arts and food technology. Most chefs work side-by-side with food scientists, creating gold standards from both points of view. They then work to make the end-product manufacturer-friendly while still maintaining the desired flavor profile and integrity.”
At the recent Sysco show at the Astor Crowne Plaza, KKF’s foodservice customers raved about the fact that their R&D department has been so diligent about responding to requests for dishes that enhance their menus and create excitement for their own clientele. New tastes and flavors make the concept of eating out seem more desirable, especially if customers can look forward to both tried-and-true favorites and variety in their food selections.
Our goal as a manufacturer is to partner with our customers and work closely with their Research and Development departments, Head Chefs, or Marketers and develop a relationship that caters to their new product development needs and tastes.
- Posted November 3, 2008
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