Creole Heritage Through Food with Chef Pansou of Bossier, Louisiana

Food is a part of your heritage and in the South that heritage and tradition is a serious matter. Today we are showcasing Louisiana Chef, Panderima Soumas, also known as Chef Pansou, who is making sure her creole heritage and food culture becomes a living tradition that is passed down for future generations. This Louisiana native has a passion for food and is using that passion to preserve her culture. Learn more about the woman behind Soumas Heritage Creole Creations today!

Creole Heritage Through Food with Chef Pansou of Bossier, Louisiana

Panderina Soumas is excited and a proud “foodie” when it comes to Louisiana Creole Cuisine. It comes naturally for Panderina, only because it’s “naturally” who SHE is!  Her rooting from both parents and grandparents (both maternal and paternal) on both sides are all seeded from South Louisiana’s historical trail-ways stemming from Bayou La Fourche, Houma, New Orleans, Mandeville/Covington, Baton Rouge and St. Francisville, Louisiana. Panderina takes great pride in sharing that her “creative Creole food journey” came honestly through many of her fore-fathers and mothers. Starting with her paternal grandfather, Charles James Soumas, whom she never knew….he was a cook/chef on a Merchant Marine Ship that sailed around the world at least 3-4 times within his lifetime before his death in 1949. Another trailblazer washer maternal great-grandmother Alberta Schaffer-McCaleb, was a cook on the Mcllhenny Plantation ( The Tabasco Family) in the early 1900’s.

Panderina envisions her own Louisiana Creole Cooking / Talk Show one day where she can take the spin to the rural areas of Creole elders throughout Louisiana and abroad. Though Panderina Soumas has made North Louisiana her home from her parents retired Military life, she plans to make her way back to South Louisiana with all her business plans so that she may pass it on to her grandchildren for them to know who they are culturally and the roots to honor their ancestors.

Panderina takes enormous pride in marketing her Creative Creole Catering Business infusing many of the recipes with her products. Panderina now carries the proud title of Chef Pan / Chef Panderina for her many accolades throughout NW Louisiana as well as the entire state of Louisiana as photo ambassadornfor the 2015 Shreveport~Bossier Visitors Guide, 2 major large Bill Boards within NW Louisiana and inside the lobby of the Shreveport-Bossier Tourist Bureau. Panderina’s logo is well-known in the area and is on all of her product labeling: IT’S ALL IN THE HISTORY!… with the PROUD watermarked imagery of her ancestors whom she owes it ALL to them!

Images from Souma Heritage Creole Creations

Michiel Perry

Michiel is a Black Southern Belle living a lowcountry life. I love all things fashion, home decor and southern! When I am not running around doing fun stuff for Black Southern Belle, I live in antique stores and have a minor obsession with historic homes 🙂

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