Kylie Broussard, 9, always finds time to sample a bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo. 

It’s gumbo time. When the first sign of cool weather arrives, out comes the gumbo pot. When the pot is filled and the smell of gumbo fills the crisp air, one thing is certain – it will be lip-smacking good.

The South Louisiana dish shared by the Creole-Cajun heritage can sometimes even have a bonafide Cajun guessing as to what will be the main ingredient in the pot. 

Beyond the basic roux, okra or filé used as a thickener, there are no hard and fast rules as to what goes into a gumbo pot or the way it is prepared.

“When you dig your spoon deep into a dish of gumbo, you never know what is going to come out,” said Butch Bourgeois. “It is just a matter of taste and the cook’s creativity. Just about anything can be used as the main ingredient for a gumbo.”

The Jeanerette resident, a member of the Roux Brothers cooking group, never misses a chance to cook a pot of gumbo for friends and family who gather to watch Sunday afternoon football or for a large crowd at a festival or fundraiser.

“It just depends on a person’s preference when it comes to gumbo. Some like to stick with the traditional chicken and sausage or seafood, while others will try anything ranging from rabbit, duck or squirrel. Just about any combination of meat, seafood or wild game goes into a gumbo. The secret is getting the roux just right with the perfect combination of seasoning,” said Bourgeois.

Bourgeois was busy preparing a pot of chicken and sausage gumbo for family and friends who had gathered to watch the televised New Orleans Saints versus Jaguars game Sunday.

His mother, Audrey Bourgeois, was enjoying her son’s cooking while rooting for the Saints, one of her favorite football teams.

“There is nothing like a good steaming hot bowl of gumbo with a scoop of potato salad while watching a football game. Gumbo and football just go together. It’s even better when you don’t have to cook it yourself,” she said.

On Sunday, visitors of the Greater Iberia Parish Chamber of Commerce 22nd annual World Championship Gumbo Cookoff in downtown New Iberia will have an opportunity to sample traditional gumbo, as well as non-traditional, when cooks at 90 booths serve up their best gumbo, all in hopes of grabbing the world championship title.

Bourgeois and Roland Romero, members of the Roux Brothers cooking group, will serve as head chefs for the City of New Iberia cooking team in the annual competition.

Bourgeois, who has competed in the gumbo cookoff competition almost every year with several different cooking teams, said his cooking group will be using 60 pounds of boneless chicken thighs, 20 pounds of leg quarters, 20 pounds of sausage and 10 pounds of roux.

“We’re hoping to take the first place award in the amateur division,” said Bourgeois.

Tommy Hebert, a friend of Bourgeois who will be cooking with the National Welding Supply cooking team headed by Tommy Frederick and Mike Brown, was at the Bourgeois’ Sunday afternoon football gathering.

Hebert reluctantly admitted he was not there just to cheer the Saints on to a victory, but to sample some of the competition’s gumbo.

“He’s got a pretty good gumbo, but I think we can still do well. This will be the first time I’m part of a cooking team, but I’m looking forward to it, said Hebert.

Janet Faulk, CEO of the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce, said there will be 90 teams competing for the prestigious cooking title of the best in their divisions in the chicken and sausage, seafood and mélange division, a category, where anything can be added to the pot, allowing cooks to show their creativity.

Along with the traditional chicken and sausage, seafood gumbos, Faulk said visitors will have the opportunity to sample gumbos featuring duck, rabbit and alligator as the star ingredient.

Faulk said the cookoff is expected to draw approximately 30,000 visitors over the three-day fun-filled weekend taking place in Bouligny Plaza in historic downtown New Iberia.

The event starts Friday from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. with music from Broken Meauxjo. The fun continues at 10 a.m. on Saturday with a Cajun Creole Food Fest, Shopping Extravaganza and music throughout the evening, closing at 10 p.m.

Faulk said gumbo will not be included in Saturday’s Food Fest, saving the experience for Sunday’s “Battle of the Rouxs.”

Sunday’s music lineup begins at 10 a.m. with Geno Delafose and French Rockin Bogie All types of gumbo will be sold beginning at 11 a.m. Music by Wayne Toups will provide a high-energy closeout from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Teams usually arrive by 6 a.m. to begin cooking.

“We’re expecting good weather and a larger crowd than last year,” she said.