re: Why The Hell Would You NOT Eat The Casing On Good Boudin?

Rascal’s Cajun Express in Duson = A+ Rated Boudin:

Price: $3.69 per lb.
Presentation:  Rascal’s has two large rice cookers in the food prep area and that’s where they’ll heat your links up and then wrap them in butcher paper.  You gotta pay at the register across the store after you get your food from the Rascal.
Casing: The casing on this loosely packed link is thin and breaks easily

Billeaud’s Meat and Grocery in Broussard, LA = A+ Rated Boudin:

Cost: $3.59 lb. for Traditional Pork
Presentation: Wrapped in a piece of butcher paper and placed in a small paper bag at the register.
Casing: Dry and extremely breakable.  This makes for an excellent vessel to contain the filling

Billy’s Boudin and Cracklin in Opelousas and Scott, LA (Review of BILLY’s Recipie) = A+:

Cost: $3.29 lb in 2005 = $4.69 in 2014
Presentation: Cut up in pieces, placed in a paper boat along with some saltine crackers, and then into a white paper bag, stapled closed with some napkins tucked in the fold. Very nice.
Casing: Moist and breakable.


Bourque’s Superstore in Port Barre, LA = A+ Boudin:

Presentation: Get back to the MEAT counter and it’ll be pulled from a steamer, placed on a piece of Styrofoam, and wrapped in plastic wrap.
Casing: Not a dry and crisp casing (which is preferable), but still breakable. A good compromise casing that allows for squeezing or breaking

Don’s Specialty Meats Carencro and Scott, LA = A+ Rated Boudin:
Cost: $3.59 lb
Presentation: Wrapped in butcher paper and placed in a brown paper bag at the register.
Casing: Moist, yet breakable.

Johnson’s Boucaniere in Lafayette, LA = A+ Rated Boudin
Price: $3.89 lb. (or market price)
Presentation: Softly pulled from a giant rice cooker and handily wrapped in white butcher paper.
Casing: Wantonly yields to the bite. You’ll hear it snap.

Redlich’s City Cash in Basile, LA = A+ Rated Boudin
Price: 2.99 lb.
Presentation: The mysterious butcher man gets and wraps the link while he’s out of view. But . . . . .it is wrapped snuggly in a double layer of white butcher paper.
Casing: The casing is thin and it is crisp.

NuNu’s (Broussard’s) Grocery and Fresh Market, Louisiana = A Rated Boudin
Price: $3.69 in April 2013 ($3.29 lb. in 2006)
Presentation: On our visit in 2013 at NuNu’s Fresh Market, they served the links from the deli and put them in a Styrofoam plate and sealed in plastic wrap.  Back in 2006 we had a boudinlink first!  The links were served in protective shell of two Styrofoam rectangles and the shell was then wrapped in plastic. You could take it fishing with you and the water will never break through the seal. (See below)
Casing: Snappy

Earl’s Food Center in Lafayette, LA = A Rated Boudin
Presentation: Placed in a Styrofoam container, wrapped in cellophane, priced, and handed across the counter.
Casing: Crisp and thin with a brittle texture.

Legnon’s Boucherie in New Iberia, LA = A Rated Boudin
Cost: $2.89 per lb. ($3.69 on 1-4-11)
Presentation: wrapped in butcher paper and placed in a brown paper sack at the register.
Casing: Moist and breakable. A fine casing

These reviews come from:

In addition to BoudinLink.com and BoudinCapitaloftheWorld.com, Carriker runs the Cajun Boudin Trail and the Cracklin Trail. He is the founder of Lafayette’s Boudin Cook-Off, an annual celebration of boudin held each October in Lafayette. The Boudin Cook-Off was recently listed as one of the top ten best food festivals in America in an article in Gourmet Magazine Live. Dr. Boudin lives in Lafayette with his wife and two daughters

He also wrote the only book ever published about boudin. But he's wrong. There is no such thing as fresh boudin with a crisp breakable casing.