New Orleans is famous for many things including jazz music, and Mardi Gras to name a few. There are so many attractions in the bayou that it can be hard to try all the things you want in the short time you are there. Many people have to take several, or even dozens of trips to get their New Orleans adventures accomplished. One stop everyone should make when visiting New Orleans is the bakery. Not any bakery though, it has to be one that sells beignets, the sweet baked treat that is part bread, part doughnut.

The beignet has been a staple of New Orleans cuisine for decades, but it hasn't yet enjoyed widespread consumption. In fact, it is a major challenge to find beignets for purchase outside Louisiana. There are several places around the U.S. that sell beignets, however they are specialty stores that are only located in major cities and have small selections of these baked treats.

Absolutely the best way to enjoy a beignet is to travel to New Orleans and go to a local bakery which sells them. There is a tradition in New Orleans to eat beignets with sweet coffee, that the French call caf. The combination of beignets and sweet coffee is as delightful as it is filling. The beignet is deceiving in its looks as a light pastry; it is actually sweet bread that can fill you up in no time at all. The beignet is a world famous pastry with little sales outlets outside of New Orleans, so it should be a must on anyone's to-do list when visiting New Orleans.

Many websites offer beignet cookbooks, and recipes online, however nothing tastes better then the real thing. Maybe it's something in the water, or maybe it's just the fresh caf that is brewed to go along side the beignet, but something about eating it in the soul city makes it all the more scrumptious.