Zatarain's, a food company steeped in New Orleans culture and tradition, is the underwriter for the new 13-program "Fairs and Festivals" series of A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse & Company which will premiere this fall.

Founded in 1889 in uptown New Orleans, Zatarain's is known far and wide for its crab and shrimp boil, breading, coatings, spices and seasoning and its well-known New Orleans Style Dinner Mixes. At its facility in Gretna, the company currently manufactures more than 70 product lines, which generate more than 200 total offerings. These products are sold in supermarkets in major metropolitan areas around the country, particularly in the South.

"We are looking forward to our partnership with Louisiana Public Broadcasting and A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Folse," says Chloe Anderson, President of Zatarain's since 1963. "Zatarain's is an institution in Louisiana and we think this association is a natural. It spreads the word internationally about the food, culture and traditions of our state. Everything about the show will be home-grown."

The company was founded by the Zatarain family in 1889 as the Pa-Poose Company and it initially manufactured and marketed mustards, pickled vegetables and extracts under both labels. The Zatarain family sold the business in 1963 and it was bought and sold by a number of food companies during the next three decades. It returned to local ownership and management in 1993 when the management of the company purchased Zatarain's.

"I am so pleased to be working with the Zatarain's team," says internationally known Chef John Folse. "The quality of their product, their commitment to good food, and their cultural standing in Louisiana is just the sort of partner we want on A Taste of Louisiana."