Tastes like Louisiana!

If you've ever wanted to try true Cajun food, or you've moved away from Louisiana and want a taste of home, there is a new website to check out. CajunTaste, based in Alexandria, Louisiana is owned and operated by Bart and Kristin Stagg. They've seen too many Cajun food makers hit the big time and sacrifice quality in the name of volume, so they offer products that are true to their roots.

Dawn in Louisiana...the dim rays of a spotlight creep ever so slowly across the dank swamp, alligators stir from nocturnal foraging while Boudreaux takes aim........NOT!

Contrary to the popular stereotype, this is not Louisiana, at least not the majority of it. There are perots, swamps, alligators, and yes, Boudreauxs - but most of Louisiana is just like any other southern state with immense tracks of pine forest, huge expanses of cotton, corn, soybean, and sugar cane fields, and shiny steel, glass, and concrete metropolitan areas.

But one thing the metros and the Boudreauxs have in common is culinary flair. Louisiana somehow manages to cut and incredibly diverse cultural swath in it's small corner of the South. Out of the blend of Creoles, Acadians, Germans, Czechs, native American, and others comes a wonderful cross-section of savory delights.

In the central Louisiana town of Alexandria, there's a small business operating a website called CajunTaste. It's owners, Bart and Kristin Stagg started it on a whim almost two years ago just to see if they could build a website. According to Bart, "When I met my wife, she had played around with websites, nothing serious, and it made me curious to see if I could do it." Bart, who has a BS from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana in Electronic Engineering, had been working computers for years, but never ever attempted to build a website, "I just started at the bottom and starting learning my way around." Kristin, originally from Lake Charles, joking suggested that they should make a site and attempt to sell Cajun food. Says Kristin, "We brainstormed trying to think of something we could sell that we knew something about...then it hit us, FOOD! We know about the Cajun food trend so we decided to try our luck, it's definitely something we know because if there's one thing we love, it's eating."

One year later, after lots of trial and error, epiphanies and faux paux, and even getting married, they sold there first item. "I tinkered with this thing for weeks at a time, then I'd get frustrated and let it sit idle for a couple of months at a time, finally someone bit," reflected Bart. It was that first "bite" that inspired them to redouble their efforts to make the site more appealing and offer more products. "I never realized how much tedious work went into website development, it's hard for me to sit down and make code for hours at a time, I'm better with creative outbursts." Kristin was very supportive during this time, offering ideas, encouragement and even blunt critiques. "Bart works full-time, then comes home to work on the house, or do landscaping for someone, or works out, then sits down at the computer and works on the site." adds Kristin, "But he still finds time for me." grinning sheepishly.

Business is constantly growing, but they have a long way to go before they reach their goal of going full-time and quitting their day jobs. "Right now, we just want to grow by making customers happy and maybe they'll spread the word," according to Kristin "we're not looking to get rich, we just want to make a living at this one day because it's so fun and satisfying." "Spreading a little "Cajun Taste" around the world" is their motto and that pretty much sums up how they approach their business.

Cajun Taste offers Louisiana/Cajun foods, beverages, art and souvenirs. Their web address is http://www.cajuntaste.com or you can email Bart and Kristin at cajuntastemail@yahoo.com.