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- Find a trusted supplier for whole crawfish, and choose domestic varieties for the best quality.
- Eating whole crawfish doesn't require utensils – your hands are your best tool.
- Simply twist the head off the tail, peel the tail, and eat the meat.
- Visit Insider's Home & Kitchen Reference library for more stories.
Every spring, the southeastern United States welcomes crawfish season. Also known as crayfish, mudbugs, or crawdads, these little creatures are either wild-caught in rivers and marshes or farmed and harvested to end up in such delectable delights as gumbo, etouffee, and of course, crawfish boils.
With a flavor that tastes like a cross between shrimp and lobster, they are slightly sweet and highly prized for the meat in their tails.
For Chef Amy Sins of Langlois New Orleans, crawfish are a way of life – they are, after all, the state crustacean of Louisiana. "[Crawfish boils are] a community dining event," she says. The host prepares their own recipe of aromatics that go into a large pot of water, and attendees help boil and eat pounds of whole crawfish while enjoying drinks and the company of their friends and family.
If you find yourself invited to (or hosting) one of the hundreds of crawfish boils that happens during the season, you'll need to know how to navigate eating whole crawfish.
A note on buying crawfish
"Buying from a supplier that you know and trust is important", says Sins. "There are a lot of imported crawfish, but you want to make sure that it says 'product of Louisiana' or 'Cajun certified'." She recommends getting your crawfish early to mid-season, as they tend to develop thicker shells that are harder to peel (with more potential to cause cuts) towards the end of the season, which is usually around Memorial Day.
If you're buying live crawfish, you want to make sure that they are still moving around a little. And as far as how much you should buy, you'll want three to four pounds per person, bearing in mind that farmed crawfish will typically be smaller than their wild-caught counterparts.
Tips for enjoying crawfish
- Before cooking, rinse your crawfish. Use clean, cool water to get rid of any debris or grit that might remain on the crawfish shell.
- Estimate about three to four pounds of whole crawfish per person. It sounds like a lot, but the actual amount of meat you'll get isn't huge. Farmed crawfish raised in ponds are usually smaller, but more available, than their wild-caught counterparts.
- Peeling crawfish for someone else is an act of love. According to Sins, it's often everyone for themselves when it comes to a crawfish boil. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and have plenty of napkins available to keep the mess at bay.
- You don't have to suck the heads. The method of boiling crawfish makes the heads the tastiest part since that's where all the spices tend to accumulate, but depending on what's in the boiler, you may find it too spicy or overwhelming if you devour every single head. And it's ok if you're simply squeamish - enjoy your crawfish however you like.
Insider's takeaway
Eating 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!