Seafood Yakamein

In all my years of living along the Mississippi River, studying foods, and traveling across the globe, I had never heard of a New Orleans dish called yakamein. Some schools of thought suggest that yakamein arrived in New Orleans with Chinese immigrants in the mid-1800s. Their task was to build a railroad from New Orleans to Houston, Texas. Others tend to the idea that African American soldiers fighting in the Korean War brought the dish to New Orleans. Regardless, this delicious one-pot meal made of broth, noodles, green onions, and most often a little beef also identifies as Creole. While my siblings and I grew up without our mother, who died in childbirth, Mary Ferchaud, the African American woman who lived down the lane, came to rear us. Mary cooked gumbos, étouffées, and wild game, but never did she make, nor likely did she know about, yakamein.

This street food took on a life of its own in New Orleans. In fact, Linda Green became known as the yakamein lady, her recipe bequeathed from her grandmother “Mama Georgia.” Linda has served up yakamein at second line parades, Jazz Fests, French Quarter Festivals, outside barrooms, inside museums, and from her front porch. Her calling card used to be serving warm yakamein to police officers while they worked festival crowds during Carnival season.

It wasn’t until I was chatting with Chef de Cuisine Christopher Anderson at my Restaurant R’evolution in the New Orleans French Quarter that I learned of and tasted yakamein. Wow, what flavor! In classic R’evolution style, yakamein was gussied up with the addition of sautéed sea bass. Delish!