"Cane River Cachet" is a column written periodically for The Natchitoches Times, a newspaper that appears five times a week in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The column attempts to capture the unique nature of the fascinating history, the richly multiethnic culture, and the special spicy flavor of life savored in a small town that has existed since 1714. Natchitoches is situated in northwest Louisiana on the banks of the meandering "Cane River", a 28-mile long lake that formerly was a channel of the nearby Red River. File gumbo, sausage jambalaya, shrimp Creole, boiled crawfish, and spicy meat pies are all examples of Natchitoches cuisine. The terms could just as well be utilized to characterize local people and events.