Are beignets and funnel cakes the same? pic.twitter.com/5Ren6uCJYf
— NOF (@nofnetwork) July 28, 2023
Yikes. Jamaal Williams jumped on a hand grenade during his Friday media availability after New Orleans Saints training camp practice, offering a hot take on a local icon: the fried-and-sugared beignets. The former Detroit Lions standout isn’t from around here, so he made sure to try the famous dish.
“I just got here, I respect y’all and your beignets, all that,” Williams began warily, “In California, we just call them funnel cakes. I tasted it, it tastes just like a funnel cake. But it’s good, though — if you like funnel cake.”
Okay, maybe that isn’t such a hot take after all. Funnel cakes are drizzled into hot oil, while beignets and cut and portioned like dumplings. And they’re both topped with powdered sugar. So he’s probably onto something here.
But New Orleanians take their cuisine seriously. And even if many locals haven’t made a habit of picking up beignets, odds are they have their opinions on where to find the best ones (something we’ve written about before). Hopefully Williams doesn’t make any big missteps and share his opinion on serving potato salad in gumbo, dusting crawfish with seasoning after the boil, or savory king cakes.
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