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All the United States Louisiana Avery Island Tabasco Museum and Factory
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Tabasco Museum and Factory

For 150 years one family has been producing the iconic hot sauce on a bayou island made of salt.

Avery Island, Louisiana

Added By
karebear2004
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Coming off the line.   Shane K. Bernard
Coming off the line.   Shane K. Bernard
Tabasco headquarters on Avery Island.   Jan Kronsell
The Tabasco Country Store.   karebear2004 (Atlas Obscura User)
A bayou hot fish.   karebear2004 / Atlas Obscura User
In case you need a gallon of Tabasco.   Kimble Young
Quality control on the factory floor.   Tbc
At the factory entrance.   karebear2004 / Atlas Obscura User
One of a few U.S. companies granted a Royal Warrant as an official supplier to the Queen.   karebear2004 (Atlas Obscura User)
Avery Island is also home to Jungle Gardens and Bird City, wildlife sanctuaries.   karebear2004 (Atlas Obscura User)
The front of the Museum’s country store.   Paul Arps
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About

Deep in southern Louisiana there is an island made of salt, completely surrounded by bayous. Known as a salt dome, this unusual geological formation is home to the fields that grow a unique red pepper, one that’s turned into the iconic hot sauce of just about every pantry and back-bar in the United States: Tabasco.

Since 1868, five generations of one family have been making Tabasco on Avery Island, at the southern end of Louisiana’s New Iberia parish. The McIlhenny Company, owned by descendants of the original family that settled the island, still runs the factory, along with a museum, country store, and restaurant. There are also daily tours of the greenhouse, barrel and blending processes, the island’s salt mine, and the factory’s bottling plant.

For most of Tabasco's existence, the fields that surround the factory grew every pepper that ended up mashed into the vinegar-based sauce. Today, in order to protect against weather and other threats to the crop, the seed peppers are all grown in the unique soil of the salt dome, then exported to international farmers to ensure steady growing seasons. Still, even with peppers from Central and South America, they’ve been producing Tabasco with the same recipe, using the same techniques, for nearly 150 years.  

Avery Island is also home to Jungle Gardens, a wildlife and garden preserve originally established by Edward McIlhenny, son of the creator of Tabasco sauce, back in 1895. 

Related Tags

Factories Museums Islands Food Museums Food

Know Before You Go

Avery Island is 140 miles west of New Orleans. Self-guided tours of Jungle Gardens are available. Check the website for tour hours, fees, and information.

Community Contributors

Added By

karebear2004

Edited By

Greg Jones, MrCarl, ddunlop, Dr Ken Rich

  • Greg Jones
  • MrCarl
  • ddunlop
  • Dr Ken Rich

Published

April 3, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.tabasco.com/avery-island/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Island,_Louisiana
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabasco_sauce
  • https://64parishes.org/entry/avery-island
  • https://www.google.com/maps/place/TABASCO%C2%AE+Factory+Tours/@29.9086827,-91.9042281,430m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x0!2zMjnCsDUzJzM0LjgiTiA5McKwNTQnMjQuNSJX!3b1!8m2!3d29.893!4d-91.9068!3m4!1s0x862376c955555553:0x3d63641ed47a4d2b!8m2!3d29.9088029!4d-91.9023353
Tabasco Museum and Factory
32 Wisteria Rd
Avery Island, Louisiana, 70513
United States
29.908803, -91.902335
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Jungle Gardens

New Iberia, Louisiana

miles away

Lake Peigneur

New Iberia, Louisiana

miles away

LARC's Acadian Village

Lafayette, Louisiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Louisiana

Louisiana

United States

Places 182
Stories 19

Nearby Places

Jungle Gardens

New Iberia, Louisiana

miles away

Lake Peigneur

New Iberia, Louisiana

miles away

LARC's Acadian Village

Lafayette, Louisiana

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Louisiana

Louisiana

United States

Places 182
Stories 19

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