The best Camellia beans substitute is any dried red kidney bean you can find that's fresh, meaning it hasn't been sitting in the back of a warehouse for two years. Older beans cook unevenly and never get creamy. Better yet, order Camellia online and skip the substitute entirely. But if it's Sunday night and you're staring at a grocery shelf in Phoenix, here's how to make it work.
We've been selling New Orleans to people who left New Orleans for twenty years, and the red beans question comes up more than you'd think. Somebody moves to Seattle, goes to make Monday's pot, and finds out the store has never heard of Camellia. It's a small crisis. It's also very fixable.
Why Camellia Matters So Much
Camellia Brand has been a New Orleans company since 1923, when Lucius Hayward founded it and named it for his wife's favorite flower, according to Biz New Orleans. His son introduced the pre-packaged bags in 1940. The family still runs it.
People who cook a lot of red beans will tell you Camellia beans are consistent. They cook down creamy and break when you mash some against the side of the pot. That's the whole trick of red beans, and you want a bean that cooperates.
Ordering the Real Thing Online
Before you settle for a substitute, try the obvious. Camellia runs its own online store at shop.camelliabrand.com, and Biz New Orleans reports the beans are sold in stores across about a dozen states. Check the company's store locator before you assume you're out of luck. Some national grocery chains carry them now.
Ordering in bulk makes sense if you cook every week. Dried beans keep a long time, though fresher is still better.
The Best Camellia Beans Substitute
If you can't get Camellia, here's what to look for:
- Dried red kidney beans, not canned. Canned will get you something, but it won't be red beans. You need the starch that comes from cooking dried beans slowly.
- The freshest bag on the shelf. Look for a store that moves a lot of dried beans. Latin American and Caribbean groceries are often a good bet, since dried beans are a staple and the stock turns over fast.
- Small red beans in a pinch. They're a different bean and cook a little differently, but plenty of people use them and are perfectly happy.
- Check the beans before you cook. Pick out the shriveled ones and any little rocks. This is true of any brand.
Soak them overnight if you have the time. Then cook them low and slow, and when they're soft, mash a ladle of them against the side of the pot to thicken things up. Patience does more than any brand ever will.
Believe in the Trinity
The other half of red beans is the trinity: onion, celery and bell pepper, chopped and cooked down at the start. Good news here. You can find all of it anywhere in the country. Garlic usually joins in, and some cooks call it the pope.
Don't skimp on the chopping and don't rush the cooking. Let the vegetables soften before the beans go in. We printed a Believe In The Trinity Tea Towel because it's the first lesson in most New Orleans kitchens, and it'll look right hanging off your oven door in Ohio. There are Trinity Socks by Bonfolk too, for the truly committed.
Andouille Substitutes
Real andouille is a coarse, heavily smoked pork sausage, and it's harder to find outside south Louisiana than the beans. A few options:
- Order it. Jacob's World Famous Andouille in LaPlace has been smoking sausage since 1928 and, according to L'Observateur, has shipped orders as far as Hong Kong. Contact them for current ordering.
- Good smoked pork sausage. A smoked sausage from a local butcher will get you most of the way. Smokier is better.
- Kielbasa. Not the same, and you'll know it, but it's smoked and it holds up in a long cook. Plenty of exiles have survived on it.
- A ham hock or pickled pork. Many families cook red beans with a ham bone or pickled pork for the base, with sausage on the side or not at all. If you can't find good sausage, lean on the ham.
Whatever you use, brown it first. The fat it leaves behind is where the trinity goes.
The Rest of the Ritual
Red beans traditionally show up on Monday, and you don't need a reason beyond that. Cook a big pot and serve it over rice, with hot sauce on the table. If you want a deeper dive into recipes from home, the Cooking Up A Storm cookbook gathers Times-Picayune recipes lost and found after Katrina.
Missing more than beans? We wrote a gift guide for people who miss New Orleans, and our history of Schwegmann's will remind you where a lot of those Monday pots started.
Camellia Beans Substitute: FAQ
What can I use instead of Camellia red beans?
Use fresh dried red kidney beans from a store that sells a lot of them. Small red beans work in a pinch. Avoid canned beans if you want the creamy texture of New Orleans red beans.
Where can I buy Camellia beans outside Louisiana?
Camellia sells online through its own store at shop.camelliabrand.com, and the beans are carried in stores in about a dozen states. Check the store locator on the company's website.
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