The Giant Omelet Festival You Probably Never Knew About
A staple of truck-stop breakfasts and fancy afternoon brunches, the humble omelet has been a breakfast item that is not only simple to make, but incredibly versatile. You could make an omelet stuffed with peppers and mushrooms just as easily as you could stuff it with a couple thick slices of ham and a few handfuls of American cheese.
There is, however, a certain skill required when making an omelet — one of those easy-to-make, hard-to-master type deals. One needs to know how many eggs are needed, how to keep it from getting greasy and curdling, how to keep it from tearing as you add your fillings without making it too underwhelming. To the French, who we know as the skilled masters of culinary art, the folded egg dish is more than just a breakfast; in fact, it has historical meaning to them, according to a legend. In France, and towns with French heritage like many in Louisiana, there exists a festival that involves nothing less than the praise of the golden fluffy egg.
Egged On: The Giant Omelette Festival
According to the legend posted at the Abbeville, Louisiana, giant omelette website, when French military hero Napoleon and his men were traveling through Southern France, they rested for the night near the town of Bessieres. While there, Napoleon enjoyed an omelette from a local innkeeper — and enjoy it he did. The dish was such a culinary delight that Napoleon custom-ordered an enormous omelette created from all the village's eggs to feed his men. From this legend, it became a tradition to re-create of the omelet to feed the poor of the villages at Easter, before blooming into a world-wide fraternity of friendship, cultural heritage, and exchange known as the Confrerie.
In Abbeville, Louisiana, three members of the Chamber of Commerce traveled to Bessieres and returned with a new inspiration to connect their town with its French roots: the giant omelet. Joining a group of cities ranging from Canada to Argentina, Abbeville became the United States' own egg-cellent representative for this rich cultural festival. Foreign representatives from all over come to Abbeville, where in an almost regal procession, they work together to create the legendary 5,000-egg Giant Cajun Omelette, as well to share in the town's rich heritage, entertainment, delicious food, and good friends.
For those of you who may not want a 5,000-egg omelet, never fear. You can enjoy the humble 600-egg children's omelet instead.