Chef Tony Chachere is well known for his contribution to the spice world with his seasoning blend known as Tony Chachere's Famous Creole Seasoning. A man of many careers and talents, Tony was born in Opelousas, Louisiana in 1905 to a family with French Creole heritage. He discovered his talent for selling at an early age, and thereafter spent the majority of his adult life as a pharmaceutical salesman before going into insurance. Throughout his life, though, he enjoyed hunting and cooking with his friends, apparently doing both well enough to inspire friends to call him the “Ole Master” of Cajun cuisine.
After his retirement from his salesman job, Tony decided to collect the recipes and techniques of his hometown. The result was the Cajun Country Cookbook,published in 1972. The cookbook became quite popular, especially because it contained the recipe for Tony's delicious spice blend. The demand for the recipe and the blend launched Tony's next career into creating seasoning blends and ready-made Creole and Cajun food. He became a popular chef and enjoyed numerous appearances on TV cooking and talk shows. He helped spread the cuisine and culture of Creole and Cajun Southern Louisiana to a broader market, and his products remain popular throughout the region.
Chef Tony Chachere died in 1995, just three months away from his 90th birthday. His family continues to create Tony Chachere food products in Opelousas, Louisiana, and their line continues to expand.