NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The love for Ponchatoula strawberries has a far reach, even with chefs in New Orleans.
WGNO’s Kenny Lopez went to Alma Cafe, a Honduran eatery in the Bywater using Ponchatoula strawberries for one of their delightful desserts, the strawberry shortcake.
At Alma, which means “soul,” James Beard award nominee Chef Melissa Araujo is whipping up something “berry special.”
“We add strawberry jam made at home, and we add corn liquor to it, then we add strawberries, and honey infused with lavender and lemon,” Araujo said.
The whipped topping mixed with strawberries is then added to a biscuit.
Araujo uses Ponchatoula strawberries for her version of strawberry shortcake.
“Ponchatoula strawberries are bigger and they’re sweeter and we are a farm to table restaurant,” she said.
The Ponchatoula strawberries are ordered four times a week.
“We order while they are in season, four to six flats of strawberries a week. Each flat is about 25 pounds. We are keeping it local,” Araujo said.
For Christine Haggerty and John Bardwell, who aren’t local, getting local flavor is what they are here for, and Alma’s strawberry shortcake doesn’t fall short.
“It is the perfect amount of dry and cakey, while being sweet and creamy. It is a super-balanced dish,” said Haggerty, who’s visiting from Seattle.
“The strawberries packed a punch. They were bigger than expected and we do have strawberries back in Seattle, but they aren’t quite the same. I have no words, it is incredible,” Bardwell, who’s also visiting from Seattle, said.
While Ponchatoula strawberries are leaving guests feeling speechless, it’s probably because their mouths are full of all this strawberry delight.
“It hits all the right notes,” Araujo said.
Alma opened in 2020 and is located at 800 Louisa St.
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