Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mudbugs, bay bugs or yabbies. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea.
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Eating the whole crawfish might seem intimidating, but it’s really not hard. A simple twist-and-pull method is all it takes, and within a few seconds, you can enjoy the sweet morsel of tail meat that is so highly sought by mudbug lovers. With a little bit of practice, you’ll be able to get through an entire pile in no time and fit right in at your next crawfish boil — laissez les bons temps rouler!
What part of the Crawfish do you eat?
Most of the meat is found in the tail of the crawfish. Here, the meat is thick, fleshy, tender, and easily comes loose from its shell. The meat in the head of the crawfish is also edible, though some people prefer to skip it. Crawfish shells aren’t edible.
How to eat Crawfish (+VIDEO) – Step by Step
Crawfish tail meat is delicious with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. It can best be described as a cross between lobster, crab, and shrimp, making it a favorite for seafood lovers. Because they are freshwater crustaceans, crawfish are naturally less salty than lobsters.
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- First, take a close look at the crawfish, so you can see exactly where the head and tail ends meet.
- Place your thumbs on one side of the crawfish shell and your index fingers on the other side.
- Firmly push the tail towards the head, then use a twisting motion to separate the two.
- Locate the first ring in the widest part of the shell of the crawfish tail. Peel it off, just like you would peel shrimp.
- Use your fingers to pinch the end of the tail as you grab the meat with your other hand or your teeth, pulling it out in one piece.
- You can also suck out the juices – a.k.a. the “crawfish butter” – from the crawfish head if you’d like (we definitely recommend giving it a try!).
- Discard the empty shells, then move on to the next bite.