Savannah Vs. New Orleans Pralines
Sep 21st, 2004, 05:40 PM
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Savannah Vs. New Orleans Pralines
If you've eaten pralines from both cities, which did you like best? We've always enjoyed the ones from Savannah; then my son brought some from New Orleans for us. They were thinner, more transparent, sugary with almost a molasses-flavor, different than the creamier, lighter-colored ones from Savannah. Has anyone else tried the candy from both cities, and found this to be true? I much prefer the ones from Savannah, if the ones we had from New Orleans are typical of most pralines you find there.
Sep 22nd, 2004, 05:42 AM
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I have always found that the best ones are the ones that have just come out of the oven. I go to the French Market in New Orleans for those.
Let's face it. Making pralines isn't the sort of cooking task that only Julia Child could master. Although there is surely an art there.
Let's face it. Making pralines isn't the sort of cooking task that only Julia Child could master. Although there is surely an art there.
Sep 22nd, 2004, 06:15 AM
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Miramar, yes, the ones from N.O. had chopped pecans, the ones from Savannah have huge halves (my friend just brought me some this week! Yum!) I was wondering if the ones my son brought were not typical of most made in N.O. They were definitely different than those I've bought in Savannah. In fact, I threw part of them out!
TG, I, too, say pralines are best when they're cooling on the counter, put out for sampling. I like them better than when they've cooled totally.
Thanks for your replies, ladies!
TG, I, too, say pralines are best when they're cooling on the counter, put out for sampling. I like them better than when they've cooled totally.
Thanks for your replies, ladies!
Sep 22nd, 2004, 06:57 AM
#6
I think this may be one of those things where the version you ate first becomes the "real thing" and everything after that is a wanna be. In my case...we moved to New Orleans, my first time living in the deep south, and those are the pralines I think of as being authentic. Actually, I thought that was where they originated? They don't age well, wherever, humidity being their enemy, so perhaps the ones you got from NO were older bonniebroad?
Sep 22nd, 2004, 08:13 AM
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I grew up in New Orleans and have to say that I've probably had 20 different varieties of pralines in New Orleans alone. There are so many shops in New Orleans that make pralines and all are a little different. I was in Savannah a few weeks ago and had a praline there. While it was different than some of the New Orlean pralines (a bit thicker than I like - I prefer them flatter so the pecans stick up), it was similar to others. I don't think it is really that pralines differ in New Orleans vs Savannah, but more that they differ from maker to maker (I imagine if I had tried a praline from a different shop in Savannah it would have be different as well).
Sep 22nd, 2004, 09:55 AM
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OO, hey there, glad to see you! No, it wasn't age that made the difference in the two - they were definitely different animals! The Savannah one - thick, creamier, milky-colored with pecan halves; The N.O. one almost see-thru thin, pecan pieces, caramel-colored, more sugary. But maybe that's just one type from N.O. I have to say that I think I've had Savannah pralines from about three different locations, and they've all been about the same. Okay, not of earth-shaking importance - just wondered about other opinions. Thanksabunch, everybody!
Sep 22nd, 2004, 10:10 AM
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The pralines I've had (at least the good, memorable ones!) in New Orleans have all had pecan halves in them rather than chopped pieces, but they were thinner than the one I had in Savannah. I like them thin - somehow they seem to last longer that way!!
Sep 22nd, 2004, 10:43 AM
#11
Bonniebroad--nice to be back! 
New Orleans version is thinner, I agree. Maybe that's partly why I like them better. They are pretty sweet and perhaps the thicker version is too much of a good thing?
Now...how about peanut brittle? That has to be thin, thin, thin too for me. My m-i-l used to make it every Christmas for us. Yum...miss that peanut brittle. Don't miss the fruitcake!
New Orleans version is thinner, I agree. Maybe that's partly why I like them better. They are pretty sweet and perhaps the thicker version is too much of a good thing?
Now...how about peanut brittle? That has to be thin, thin, thin too for me. My m-i-l used to make it every Christmas for us. Yum...miss that peanut brittle. Don't miss the fruitcake!
Sep 22nd, 2004, 12:50 PM
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I have made clear type pralines here in NO before & my recipe calls for Karo syrup & no cream type product (half & half, condensed milk, etc). This site (http://www.britannia.org/recipes/sho...ipeID=00000010) has a similar recipe to the one I use.
The recipe I saw for Savannah type pralines is a more milk based (half & half) type. That might be the main difference. Aunt Sally's is made with evaporated milk so their original style would be closest to Savannah style, I imagine. Here is a site with info on Savannah pralines. www.savannahcandy.com/ShowView/product/321/8
How they turn out also can depend on the weather. Never make them if it's rainy. They just don't harden well. Of course that is a good reason to use the runnier stuff as ice cream topping!
A site with an interesting history on pralines & a recipe with pictures is here- http://home.att.net/~magnoliaholidays/pralines.html
The recipe I saw for Savannah type pralines is a more milk based (half & half) type. That might be the main difference. Aunt Sally's is made with evaporated milk so their original style would be closest to Savannah style, I imagine. Here is a site with info on Savannah pralines. www.savannahcandy.com/ShowView/product/321/8
How they turn out also can depend on the weather. Never make them if it's rainy. They just don't harden well. Of course that is a good reason to use the runnier stuff as ice cream topping!
A site with an interesting history on pralines & a recipe with pictures is here- http://home.att.net/~magnoliaholidays/pralines.html
Sep 22nd, 2004, 01:03 PM
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benj, thanks for your reply. I went on foodnetwork.com, and read all their praline recipes, and found basically what you did. Some recipes call for light cream, some heavy cream, some evaporated milk, some light brown sugar, some white sugar, some both, some add butter........ and on and on. Different ingredients, depending on the cook. As OO says, guess what you ate and liked first would be what you'd consider the "real" one. Thanks, everybody!
Nov 13th, 2004, 06:56 AM
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Having just returned from Savannah, there was a craving for pralines last night. VERY MISTAKENLY, I used a recipe from Texas that contained two cups cane sugar, two cups light Karo, two cups heavy cream and a pound of butter. What I ended up with was tasty, but NOT pralines. Pralines are not supposed to be chewy! I would very much welcome a good and reliable recipe for the Savannah pralines found at the orignal source on the riverwalk. Not too sweet, thick with pecan halves, just the finest of grain to the sugar, the tiniest hint of cream and they break into perfect bite-sized bits. That's the recipe I need.
Then on the way home we went by Beaufort, SC. Now that is a blessing. More beauty than Savannah, Charleston or New Orleans. By the roadside we saw a restaurant advertising Gullah cuisine, but my Atlanta wife wouldn't go in because she said she doesn't like that hot, cajun, spicy food. Some folks just don't know any better! South Carolina low country red rice, pork barbecue, she-crab soup, callas, pilau, and other indiginous fare may be first cousin to cajun/creole, but it has a style all its own!
Then on the way home we went by Beaufort, SC. Now that is a blessing. More beauty than Savannah, Charleston or New Orleans. By the roadside we saw a restaurant advertising Gullah cuisine, but my Atlanta wife wouldn't go in because she said she doesn't like that hot, cajun, spicy food. Some folks just don't know any better! South Carolina low country red rice, pork barbecue, she-crab soup, callas, pilau, and other indiginous fare may be first cousin to cajun/creole, but it has a style all its own!
Jul 10th, 2011, 04:47 PM
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Hey, Everybody....a Yankee from Oxford, Ohio here. Thought I would add my thoughts and experiences regarding the wonderful
Praline. Nothing like them, for sure! Was on my fourth visit
to New Orleans this past September. I love the city and look
forward to returning again. Of course, I ate myself into a
stupor and that included sampling the Pralines. Seems like
there is a kitchen on every other corner offering up their ver-
sion of this great confection. By and large most of them are
very similar with some slight differences. The ones that I ended
up purchasing to take home to share we're from Papa's Pralines
at the Riverwalk. Most of the Pralines in NO are made with pecan pieces and are toward the thin side. The ones that I purchased at Papa's we're the thicker variety and creamier. They also had pecan pieces and had an almost slight maple taste. They we're heavenly. I really believe that a lot of the taste depends on how fresh they are. I had a sample fresh from the oven and were they fantastic.
Headed to Hilton Head this August and will be spending a few days in Savannah. Can't wait. Have wanted to visit ever since I saw the movie Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. Will be doing some eating and drinking and touring....and will definately sample their Pralines. So I will have to bring back my findings on New Orleans vs Savannah pralines.
Praline. Nothing like them, for sure! Was on my fourth visit
to New Orleans this past September. I love the city and look
forward to returning again. Of course, I ate myself into a
stupor and that included sampling the Pralines. Seems like
there is a kitchen on every other corner offering up their ver-
sion of this great confection. By and large most of them are
very similar with some slight differences. The ones that I ended
up purchasing to take home to share we're from Papa's Pralines
at the Riverwalk. Most of the Pralines in NO are made with pecan pieces and are toward the thin side. The ones that I purchased at Papa's we're the thicker variety and creamier. They also had pecan pieces and had an almost slight maple taste. They we're heavenly. I really believe that a lot of the taste depends on how fresh they are. I had a sample fresh from the oven and were they fantastic.
Headed to Hilton Head this August and will be spending a few days in Savannah. Can't wait. Have wanted to visit ever since I saw the movie Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. Will be doing some eating and drinking and touring....and will definately sample their Pralines. So I will have to bring back my findings on New Orleans vs Savannah pralines.
Jul 10th, 2011, 05:52 PM
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Mmmm...pralines are sooo yummy! Thank goodness I'm way up here in New Hampshire where the nearest praline shop is probably 1,000 miles away. I get them about once a year when our friends from the south send me a box, but they are the Savannah ones if anyone is keeping score.
