As March Madness Rolls, New Orleans Tracks Its Own Red Beans Brackets
The humble dish doesn't normally turn heads, but now red beans have inspired their own craze, thanks to a month-long citywide food competition styled after the college basketball tournament.
Gumbo is the most famous New Orleans dish. Po-boys get plenty of press and king cake is now a seasonal sensation, splayed across social media for all the hungry world to crave around Mardi Gras time in The Big Easy.
But red beans and rice? That gets into a homier appeal in New Orleans.
The dish doesn't normally turn heads, but it has worked its way into the city's rhythms
