This sense of gastronomic play is rooted in both deep traditions – truly, this city has one of the few indigenous cuisines in the country – and a willingness to accommodate outside influences, both in terms of technique and ethnicity. Well, OK, it does: its playful attitude to ingredients and recipes mixes (for example) alligator sausage and cheesecake into a dessert fit for the gods. When it comes to food, New Orleans does not fool around.

The things that make life worth living – eating, drinking and the making of merriment – are the air that New Orleans breathes.