A childhood filled with the Cajun tradition of the communal boucherie culminated in a successful business and cooking venture for John Benoit and his wife, Verbie.

"We both grew up on a farm and are familiar with the boucherie," says Verbie Benoit. A boucherie is a hog-butchering undertaken with relatives and friends helping each other and sharing in the bounty of the dishes made from the hog, such as hog's head cheese, sausage and boudin.

The Benoits own and operate the popular Benoit's Country Meat Block Inc. on La. 1 in Addis. They make and sell about 30 meat specialty items and say some of the most popular are their smoked meats. "The smoker's going every day," says John Benoit.

Among Benoit's offerings are smoked sausage, tasso, smoked chickens, beef jerky, hog's head cheese, boudin and boudin balls, cracklins and stuffed pork chops.

Benoit is especially proud of the stuffed pork chops, which he says is a recipe developed by him and his wife from a recipe they acquired in their native Acadiana. John Benoit is from Church Point, while Verbie Benoit grew up in nearby Lawtell.

Benoit says he was "an unemployed truck driver" back in 1982 when he decided to open the Country Meat Block. "I was tired of being un-employed," he recalls, but admits the idea of starting his own business was scary.

He says he "hocked" everything he owned to open the original, small store about 150 feet from the present, 13-year-old, larger establishment. "Business really jumped up when we moved in here," he said.

Smoking 500-600 pounds of meat and meat specialties made on the premises daily keeps the Benoits and their 10 employees busy during the winter. Benoit says he smokes about half that amount in the warmer summer months.

The Benoits use their products generously at home, even creating tasty recipies that call for the smoked items they sell. "He smokes the meats and I develop the meals," says Verbie Benoit.

John "Buddy" Benoit Jr., the youngest of four Benoit children, laughs and says, "He's got a stew he calls Hock and Cock Stew. It's real good." The elder Benoit explains his concoction is made from rooster and ham hocks.

Benoit says he usually cooks the family meal on Sundays, when the store is closed. His favorite is Meat Sauce Picante. Verbie Benoit says the stuffed pork chop dish came about after she "decided to try cooking them with potatoes."

If we can't eat it at home, we wouldn't sell it," declares John Benoit.