Tina Knowles Brings Family Gumbo Recipe to Houston Rodeo

Tina Knowles launched Mama Tina's Gumbo at the Houston Rodeo on March 2. Visitors got to try a recipe passed down through generations. The booth sits on the Fannin side of NRG Park and stays open through March 22.

Making this gumbo takes 14 to 15 hours. Tina Knowles prepares the large batches herself, stirring the pot throughout.

"It takes about 14 to 15 hours. Stirring slowly, you have to have a lot of patience. It's a lot of ingredients, and you have to be so careful of how to handle it. That's why it's really not out there. I think we've mastered it, and I'm really excited for people to have it. It's just me who usually does it," said Tina Knowles, according to an exclusive live interview with KPRC2 News.

Her daughter, Beyoncé, ate this dish as a child and took it on tours. Tina Knowles learned to make it from her own mother.

"I've been trying to put gumbo out because I've been making it ever since I was a kid. I tried with the company because it was so expensive. The process was so long and labor-intensive. My ex son-in-law, his family made this gumbo and it was amazing. I said, 'you know, it's time for me to try to do the Mama Tina's gumbo.' So, I put my touches in it, a lot of things from my family recipe and techniques. We came up with this gumbo and it's amazing. I can't wait for the world to taste it," she said.

The booth offers four versions. Each one works for different dietary needs and preferences. Chicken without pork, as well as chicken with sausage, is available. Also on the menu is a seafood version and a  Turkey-based preparation.

"People have different allergies. So we do chicken without pork, and there's chicken with sausage. Then we have a seafood dish: deluxe Mama Tina's gumbo. From my daughter, she does turkey, so we do it with turkey. I have to kind of change it up a lot. My grandkids love it, everybody in my family. My mom made the best gumbo, and I didn't learn to cook anything else, but I learned to make the best gumbo," she added.

The stand sits just outside the rodeo grounds at NRG Park. Visitors might even be able to spot Mama Tina working the booth while the event runs.