Tulsa jumps onboard to celebrate Mardi Gras

Fat Tuesday is here and Ed Richard, everyone calls him Cajun Ed, knows how to make the most of it. “It’s becoming bigger and bigger every year,” Ed told KRMG news.

Hebert's Specialty meats is on 71^st street between Lewis and Riverside and although they have become a regular stop for Tulsa foodies, they are especially busy this week.

“We get more and more people who visit us on Mardi Gras day and the weekend before, we’ve been slammed since Friday" Ed said as he looked around the room.

What are people clamoring for? “A lot of people want the traditional southern Louisiana, New Orleans types of foods,” Ed said.

What does that include?

“Etouffee, red beans, smoked sausages, boiled crawfish, gumbo, all those good southern Louisiana dishes.”

Listen as Ed describes Mardi Gras.

And Herbert’s has them by the pound, the plate or the cup.

Ed also wanted to make sure we understood the difference between Cajun and Creole. “Creole is more tomato based with rich sauces and such” he began.

“Cajun was more developed out of the poor people where they have a lot of one pot dishes” Ed pointed out.

“Gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee, they have a lot of rice so it stretches it and a lot of liquid.”

They also have king cakes with all the bright colors and a plastic baby baked inside.

KRMG news asked Ed to give us a little lesson on Fat Tuesday. “It’s the last day before Lent where you can just let loose and be care free.”

Ed said it’s such a debaucherous celebration you need to stay anonymous “you wear a mask so nobody knows who you are so you can let yourself go before you go into Lent.”

A brightly dressed lady named Julie told KRMG she was going to celebrate big time in another traditional way. “We want to throw people beads” she said.

Then after watching another man who heard her break out in a big smile Julie finished “Throwing people beads seems to make ‘em really happy.”

Well said Julie, well said.