IBERIA PARISH (NEW IBERIA) — In south Louisiana, bold flavors and deep-rooted culinary traditions are a way of life. For one New Iberia resident, those tradition—both Southern and Southeast Asian — have become the focus of a new documentary premiering this week in Lafayette.
“It’s been a multi-year process to get this film put together—like, three years,” said Phanat Xanámane, a New Iberia native.
Xanámane worked with the Library of Congress to produce the film as part of its “Homegrown Foodways Film Series,” a project highlighting diverse American culinary traditions.
The result is “Bayous, Buddha, and Padaek: Southern Louisiana’s Lao Foodways,” a two-part, 30-minute documentary that explores the Laotian community in southern Louisiana through the lens of food.
“It’s a 30-minute-long documentary—so very short—but it’s really amazing because it covers the Laotian community through the lens of their food,” Xanámane said.
The film traces how Laotian immigrants have preserved their culinary traditions while blending them with Cajun and Creole influences to create new dishes unique to the region.
“‘Bayous’ is a hint to, of course, the local landscape, and ‘Buddha’ is sort of the Buddhist community, and then ‘padaek’ is a Laotian condiment that’s used in a lot of Laotian dishes—and it’s a fermented fish sauce,” he said.
Thanks to a local caterer, attendees at Thursday’s screening will have the opportunity to sample some of the featured dishes.
Xanámane said the film aims to pass traditions on to younger generations.
“We’re allowing new generations to have access to these traditions, and then they can start to learn and go more deeply into the traditional roots,” he said.
He also hopes audiences gain a broader appreciation for the diversity within the region.
“I hope the people that watch the film recognize that even in a conservative area like southern Louisiana, there are pockets of the community—diverse pockets of the community—that add another layer of richness to this area,” Xanámane said.
“Bayous, Buddha, and Padaek: Southern Louisiana’s Lao Foodways” will screen at the Roy House on Johnston Street at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are limited and availability can be found here.
