Crayfish and crawfish

Crayfish, also called crawfish or crawdad, are closely related to the lobster. More than half of the more than 500 species occur in North America, particularly Kentucky (Mammoth Cave) and Louisiana in the Mississippi basin. they also live in Europe, New Zealand, East Asia and throughout the world, including the Tristan da Cunha Islands.

Nearly all live in freshwater, although a few survive in salt water. thay are characterised by a joined head and thorax, or midsection, and a segmented body, which is sandy yellow, green, or dark brown in colour. The head has a sharp snout, and the eyes are on movable stalks. They are usually about 7.5 cm (3 inches) long.

They are eaten all over the world. Like other edible crustaceans, only a small portion of the body is edible. In most prepared dishes, such as soups, bisques and étouffées, only the tail portion is served.

Claws of larger boiled specimens are often pulled apart to access the meat inside. Another favourite is to suck the head of the crayfish, as seasoning and flavour can collect in the fat of the boiled interior. A popular double entendre laden phrase heard around crawfish season in Louisiana derives from this practice: "suck the head; pinch the tail. A common myth is that a crawfish with a straight tail died before it was boiled and is not safe to eat. In reality, crawfish that died before boiling can have curled tails as well as straight, as can those that were alive, and may very well be fine to eat. Boiled crawfish which died before boiling are safe to eat if they were kept chilled before boiling and were not dead for a long time. (This does not mean that a sack of crawfish that are all dead should be boiled.) A much better test than the straight tail as to the edibility of any crawfish is the tail meat itself; if it is mushy, it is usually an indication that it should be avoided.

Finished at my crayfish page? Click to go back to my home page.