jambalaya festival

I've finished making the last of the seven different locally-produced jambalaya rice mixes that I brought home from my trip to Louisiana in April. Some of them I bought at a tourist shop in New Orleans' French Quarter, some at a supermarket in Houma, and one directly from its vendor. None of them I'd ever seen before; the only mix that makes the supermarket shelves here these days is Zatarain's, which I don't consider very good (I ate at a Zatarain's restaurant on the trip, and didn't consider it particularly outstanding either).

Some of the mixes I got I considered better than others, and I'd rank them approximately as follows, with links to where they can all be ordered online, and don't think I won't be doing that:

OUTSTANDING
1. Cajun Country Creole Jambalaya Seasoning Mix With Rice (this was the tastiest: I just couldn't stop eating it)
2. Konriko Brand Jambalaya Mix With Rice (extra points for this one for being the only one with an option to bake the jambalaya - my favorite way of cooking it - on the package)
3. Cook Me Somethin’ Mister! Jambalaya Rice Mix (the brand name made me doubtful, but it was quite good)

PRETTY GOOD
4. Punch Daddy Jambalaya Mix (yes, there's an anthropomorphized map of Louisiana, wearing boxing gloves, on the package: it isn't that bad, really)
5. Louisiana’s Cajun Land Brand Jambalaya Mix

O.K., NOT SO GREAT
6. Jody's Jambalaya
7. Chef Hans’ Cajun Style Jambalaya Readi-Mix

What the two least good had in common was that both included chicken drippings in the ingredients list. I don't think that was such a good idea. The meat should come from what the cook adds at the time of preparation. But they were still OK; I'd give them 3 stars and Zatarain's 2.

I had a lot of good food in Louisiana, and am happy to have brought some home with me.