“That was the right dope that Ainslee gave you, even if it was mixed with a little tabasco,” he said.

Mix the lemon juice, catsup, grated onion, tabasco sauce and salt, and pour over the oysters.

Add a little salt, and a few drops of tabasco sauce.

Acadiana is already a tourism destination, he said: the birthplace of Cajun music, site of Tabasco production, a place of culture and cuisine.

A sleepy city built along a muddy river in the oil-rich state of Tabasco, Tenosique has long been a way station for migrants heading north.

Serve alone with Tabasco or ketchup or garnished with a fried egg.