FOOD NEWS
The New Orleans Tradition Behind Red Beans And Rice
BY LISA CURRAN MATTE
The New Orleans tradition of eating red beans and rice on Mondays is very mundane. The custom stems from practicality.
The bone and any leftovers from Sunday's ham dinner became the flavor base for Monday's beans and rice. With the ham doing double duty, homemakers were free to do other chores.
Monday was also laundry day, and the hot coals used to heat the wash water were also used for simmering a slow-cooked meal.
Eating the dish on Mondays is one of New Orleans' culinary traditions, as the dish’s origins are rooted in the cultural dynamics that shaped the city's food scene over centuries.