The Filipino settlers already knew how to make nets and catch shrimp from life in the Philippines, explained Liz Williams, founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. But it was in the swampy marshes of St Bernard that they pioneered a method for preserving and drying the crustaceans. According to Williams, after boiling the shrimp in brine, the Filipino settlers laid them out on platforms and dried them for several days. Then, they shuffled over the shrimp to remove the shells.