# Crawdad boil **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664 "2011-04-16T23:09:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/1 "2011-04-16T23:09:03Z")
Crayfish season should be coming up, and I do like a crawdad boil. But I won’t be having one. Turns out roomie can’t get past that they look like big bugs. She also doesn’t care for the texture. (She doesn’t like the texture of lobster, either. She likes crab, though.) Alas! Crawdads, a pot of boiling water, cobbettes of corn, red potatoes, ‘crab boil’ seasoning, and cornbread and cheap beer on the side. Maybe I can do two pots: a crawdad boil for me, and a shrimp boil for her. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/2 "2011-04-16T23:35:34Z")
I have wanted to try them, but so far have not had an opportunity. One company I worked for had a big gathering for the marketing department every year with a huge crawdad boil, but since I was in development I never got invited. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/3 "2011-04-16T23:55:15Z")
I lived in Mississippi for a year, and crawfish boils are the one thing I miss the most. I honestly think I could stand at a table covered in crawfish, corn and potatoes for an entire day eating and eating and eating. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/4 "2011-04-16T23:58:48Z")
I like to mix the seafood in my seafood boil: jumbo shrimp, or lately slipper tails (they’re some sort of Caribbean species of undersea bug the resembles a mini-lobster tail), cherrystone clams, and (well scrubbed) mussels. A delightful mix of seafood flavors come together, and everyone picks and chooses the type of aquatic invertebrate they want to eat. P.S. I never remember to add sausage. I can’t believe that it really adds something the recipe needs, especially smoky flavors – I like the clean ocean smell and flavor. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/5 "2011-04-17T00:11:39Z")
I like crawfish but how can you justify so much work peeling back the shells for so little meat?? That bothers me every time I eat it ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/6 "2011-04-17T00:28:36Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I like crawfish but how can you justify so much work peeling back the shells for so little meat?? That bothers me every time I eat it You’re probably peeling too much. You just need to get a couple rings of shell removed to extract the whole bug. Pinch dem tails! ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/7 "2011-04-17T00:42:51Z")
Do you eat the heads too? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/8 "2011-04-17T00:51:58Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Do you eat the heads too? nitpick, one “sucks” the heads. And Yes I do. Yum Yum. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/9 "2011-04-17T00:58:04Z")
Mmmmm… Crawdads. Step 1: Suck the head. Step 2: Eat the tail. Step 3: use the heads as finger puppets to entertain your friends in PETA. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/10 "2011-04-17T00:59:10Z")
Are you able to eat crawdad “tamale” because the animal isn’t big enough to pick up alot of pollution? (which is why lobster tammale eating is ill-advised) ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/11 "2011-04-17T01:27:47Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Crayfish season should be coming up, and I do like a crawdad boil. Nitpick - crawfish season is already in full swing, has been for a few weeks. Sold in restaurants by the pound ($5.95/Lb) around here 2-3 pounds is perfect Been enjoying them on a regular basis for about a month ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/12 "2011-04-17T01:33:04Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I like crawfish but how can you justify so much work peeling back the shells for so little meat?? That bothers me every time I eat it I never peel. Pull them in two, and you can easily extract the tail meat with your teeth. OP, lots of people have both shrimp and crawfish in a low county boil. I’ve always used both. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/13 "2011-04-17T01:36:28Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Nitpick - crawfish season is already in full swing, has been for a few weeks. Maybe the season starts later up here. I haven’t seen any live ones in stores yet. (OTOH, maybe I’m just going to the wrong stores.) ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/14 "2011-04-17T01:54:45Z")
Had crawdad boil once on a kayak trip, prepared by genuine Cajuns. Was wonderful. Didn’t suck the heads though. Sausage sounds like a good addition. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/15 "2011-04-17T05:35:48Z")
I just got home from a crawfish boil, about an hour ago. Definitely in season now. Good stuff. -D/a ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/16 "2011-04-17T06:35:43Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I like crawfish but how can you justify so much work peeling back the shells for so little meat?? That bothers me every time I eat it Practice, practice. When I was in grad school in Lafayette, we had a boil on the Atchafalaya every spring, at the camp of the uncle of one of the grad students. They made pots and pots of mudbugs, and competing against some real Cajuns for them hones your skills, I-gawr-an-tee. If you are down in South Louisiana and want a crawfish boil without doing it yourself, I recommend [Richards](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tripadvisor.com%2FRestaurant_Review-g29451-d406304-Reviews-Richard_s_Seafood_Patio-Abbeville_Louisiana.html&rct=j&q=richards%20abbeville%20la&ei=XImqTdTzK4-WsgPc06n6DA&usg=AFQjCNEEHolLD3Tl9vKs1Z6oF-fj-OyJ7Q&cad=rja) in Abbeville. It was outstanding when we lived there 32 years ago, and we took our kids back 15 years ago and it was still outstanding. So outstanding that it drove our daughter right out of being a vegetarian. They have things besides crawfish there now, but don’t lose focus. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/17 "2011-04-17T16:36:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Maybe the season starts later up here. I haven’t seen any live ones in stores yet. (OTOH, maybe I’m just going to the wrong stores.) Stores? I thought you just scooped 'em up out of the roadside ditches… oh wait, this is WA State - I was thinking of fresh asparagus 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/18 "2011-04-17T16:47:15Z")
I am flying down to New Orleans next week (my 15th annual Jazzfest) and I have invitations to a couple of backyard boils–I enjoy the get-togethers, but the crawfish themselves are not too much of a draw. I like crawfish as an ingredient in pastas, or various prepared dishes, but eating boiled bugs is too messy, too much of a hassle for a such a small amount of actual food. Still, I am looking forward to catching up with old friends, and I suppose I will have a couple of crawfish during the festivities, but will plan on finding some real food at some point, and letting those who really enjoy them have my share… ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/19 "2011-04-17T16:53:31Z")
God I’m hungry. ---
**Author:** ![zeldarae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/f14d63/32.png) [@zeldarae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeldarae)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664/20 "2011-04-18T12:12:30Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I like crawfish but how can you justify so much work peeling back the shells for so little meat?? That bothers me every time I eat it If you pinch the tail correctly, the meat will just pop loose and you can squeeze it into your mouth. No peeling necessary. Who taught you heathens how to eat _crawfish_? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crawdad-boil/578664.md?page=2)