Crawfish

[58chevy]

As with insects, there are often many common names for the same organism. Now that it's crawfish season, I'm reminded of reading/hearing the tasty crustaceans referred to as "crayfish". While "crayfish" is the non-Latin technical term, "crawfish" is the term used almost exclusively in Louisiana, the crawfish capital of the world (or at least the USA). It's where most of them are raised and eaten. If you use the term "crayfish" in Louisiana, you'll immediately identify yourself as a foreigner or "yankee". If it were easy to do (of course it isn't), I would like to see the official term changed from "crayfish" to "crawfish", since it's the term most widely used by the people who have the biggest investment in the creatures. What do you think?

[nomihoudai]

Interesting thoughts. I too enjoy crawfish and they are one of my best memories from Texas. Every crawfish season I would make sure to get some to eat. From all the names they have I use mudbug the most often as I like that name.

With the rains and floods in spring they would come out and cover fields. I would find stranded ones in puddles on my biking trail.

Now, crayfish do exist in most places. Sometimes more common, sometimes less common. We do have them in Europe but don't eat the local ones.

The largest producer of them is China. They produce 70% of the globally eaten crayfish (about 2.6M tons compared to a production of 44k tons in Louisiana). Even the ones eaten in Europe are produced there. So maybe we should call them 小龙虾 (Xiǎo lóngxiā)

[Jshuey]

In Louisiana, the local Cajuns call them mud bugs... Or at least the Cajuns I know call them that!

j

[58chevy]

I've heard them called mud bugs also, but most Cajuns I know (including my relatives) just call them crawfish. Like shrimp, they are good eating no matter how they're prepared. The standard peel-&-eat boiled crawfish is great, as is c etoufee & c pie. But in my opinion nothing beats crawfish bisque. If you haven't tried it, order some next time you're in Louisiana (or southeast TX). You're in for a treat.

[Jshuey]

I've heard them called mud bugs also, but most Cajuns I know (including my relatives) just call them crawfish. Like shrimp, they are good eating no matter how they're prepared. The standard peel-&-eat boiled crawfish is great, as is c etoufee & c pie. But in my opinion nothing beats crawfish bisque. If you haven't tried it, order some next time you're in Louisiana (or southeast TX). You're in for a treat.

Well, I only know two Cajuns

And I have to say - as much as I love New Orleans, mud bugs are not my favorite.

John