And though — or perhaps, because of — being a time-tested dish, red beans and rice can show up on menus in interesting ways, showcasing new ideas.

A Bean-Based Cocktail That Breaks All Rules

At Muy Pwa in Beanlandia, Chef Maya Mastersson concocts not one, but two new red beans and rice variations, and even a cocktail.

That’s right, a red beans and rice cocktail. Consisting of toasted rice-infused mezcal, “trinity” bitters and a red bean syrup that Mastersson makes, it’s finished with Tony Chachere’s on the rim and a specialty ice cube — another Mastersson creation — that has red beans, rice and a bay leaf in it.

“It’s a savory drink,” says Mastersson, adding, “Every cocktail, every dish has at least one bean type in it,” about the restaurant’s offerings.

When Mastersson opened Muy Pwa in Beanlandia in early October 2024, her goal was a menu focusing on beans, as Beanlandia is a community center and museum founded by the Krewe of Red Beans, renowned for its Lundi Gras march wearing bean-adorned costumes, as well as its philanthropic activities such as Feed the Second Line.

From Sicily to New Orleans: The Art of Bean-Based Innovation

“We were excited to find a creative and unique chef to bring on like Maya. She’s a great fit in our little bean universe,” says Krewe of Red Beans and Beanlandia founder Devin De Wulf.

To create this bean-centric menu, Mastersson did extensive research about New Orleans cuisine, as well as global flavors. “I wanted it to be a cohesive menu with a theme … without it being all over the place,” she says.

Mastersson submerged herself “in the history of beans, the science of beans … how they grow, what cultures use them, how they use them, how they are eating them … things like that.”

Mastersson aimed to source locally or close by, which led her to use Camellia Beans, which in addition to its red kidney beans, she uses the white beans, black beans and black-eyed peas.

Among the menu’s highlights is the red beans and rice arancini, which is a blend of two culinary traditions: New Orleans’ favorite Monday dish and arancini, a rice ball that is stuffed, coated in breadcrumbs, then deep-fried which has its origin in Sicily.

“At its base,” Mastersson says about the dish, “it is literally a fried ball of red beans and rice.”

She starts by making the red beans, then when done, adds rice to that same pot. While the rice cooks, it absorbs most of that liquid, a vegetable stock made with leftover scraps accumulated during prep.

Nutritional yeast is added “to give it that meaty, umami flavor,” she says.

Sweet, Savory, and Everything in Between

The rice ends up very soft, making it easier to make into small balls. She freezes them — to hold the shape — before they are breaded and fried to order. Served with a Crystal remoulade sauce to add a little bit of kick, it is crunchy on the outside, full of red beans and rice flavor on the inside.

It is a vegan dish, says Mastersson, but it still has a smoky flavor due to the liquid smoke she adds, not due to a smoked meat often found in traditional red beans and rice.

The Azuki red beans and rice ice cream is her other culinary spin on this dish. The red beans are cooked in milk, and while doing that, she makes a custard. She adds that to the red beans, then blends it into an ice cream, making it very rich, says Mastersson.

“I wanted the menu to be a multicultural celebration of the legume,” she says. And at Muy Pwa, Mastersson does just that.

*Muy Pwa, at Beanlandia, 3300 Royal St., kreweofredbeans.org; Hours: Wed.-Sun., 5 p.m.-9 p.m.*

The Krewe of Feijao & Green Beans is another colorful off-shoot of the Red Beans and Dead Beans parades, and it debuted back in 2020.

Featuring both a samba-style marching band and a Cajun band, the parade celebrates the diversity of different cultures in the Crescent City, including Cajun and Brazilian culture. The relatively new 70-member krewe is named for the Portuguese word for beans, and their costumes show off intricate designs made with dried beans and rice.

On Monday, February 16th, the 2026 Feijao & Green Beans Parade kicks off at 2 PM at the Krewe of Red Beans’ Beanlandia.

First there was the Red Beans Parade – that legume-loving marching club that celebrates the importance of red beans & rice and carnival every Lundi Gras. And then there was the first offshoot, the Dead Beans Parade. Now, a third group joins in the eclectic and eccentric fun — the Feijão + Green Beans Parade.

The Red Beans Parade

Devin DeWulf started the Red Bean Parade in 2008, incorporating elements of a second line and Mardi Gras Indian tribes into a walking parade which takes place – naturally – on a Monday. Monday has traditionally been the day New Orleanians cook red beans and rice, so Lundi Gras was a natural fit. The krewe’s philosophy is simple. It’s about meeting and socializing with other creative types while celebrating New Orleans’ quirky culture. Members meet on Monday nights to work on their bean-adorned costumes, have a drink, and eat red beans. The elaborate costumes are a point of pride to the group.

The parade, led by a local brass band, begins at the Krewe of Red Beans headquarters, Beanlandia, and proceeds through the Bywater, ending up in Marigny.

The Dead Beans Parade

The Krewe of Red Beans has always had marchers who costumed as skeletons – also known as “Dead Beans” – as well as those whose costumes are tributes to celebrities who’ve died in the preceding year. So in order to grow the popular krewe in a way that kept the marches small and intimate, it made sense to create a separate group called the Dead Beans. The Dead Beans also begin their parade at Beanlandia!

The Feijão + Green Beans Parade

Debuting in 2020 and inspired by Cajun and Brazilian culture, The Feijão + Green Beans Parade is a third off-shoot. Featuring both a samba-style marching band and a Cajun band, the parade celebrates the diversity of different cultures in the Crescent City.

Got kids? Bring them along! The spectacular homemade costumes showcased in all three parades might just inspire them to start their own beans-and-rice beading artwork.