Where Y'Eat: Flying Cabbage and a Different Way to Read New Orleans Food Seasons

It’s March in New Orleans, parades are again on the calendar and feasts are on the itinerary. Have fun, but for heaven’s sake, beware of flying produce and at all times, watch out for your teeth.
            I’m talking about a different type of seasonal awareness for our food, and one that was brought home to me in the dentist chair.
Maybe it should be no surprise that the endless conversation about food in this city carries over to the people who keep our chompers in good working order.
So, there between the floss and the gargle, the food talk continues with its themes of food seasons, cultural traditions and, from the dental perspective, just a little backbeat of danger in the midst of celebration.
It turns out Louisiana dentists can read the seasons by the types of complaints and injuries their patients bring their way.
The leading culprit is shellfish, and with all the zeal with which we tear into it. Oysters bring damaged teeth from hidden pearls. When crabs are running fat, bits of shell are bound to secret themselves into bisques or casseroles, waiting there to chip a tooth.
The sportsman’s culture of Louisiana plays a part. When duck season starts, and freshly felled birds start making their way into roasting pans and gumbos, dental injuries from shot stuck in the meat escalate too.
Which brings us to March, a month with its own special perils in New Orleans. The St. Patrick’s Day parade floats unleash such a barrage of produce, you might consider wearing a mouth guard to the parade route. And even the devotional altars of St. Joseph’s Day get in on the act. Those traditional Italian cookies -- let’s remember that they’re best when dipped, and softened, in coffee or a little Marsala. When they’re rock hard, they can have the effect of rocks.
None of this should discourage your appetite, but we could all do well to slow down and really appreciate our food seasons and our food culture – if only to make sure your next chair is at the dinner table, and not at the dentist.