Do you eat mudbugs?
Well, we do, and it’s that time of year again. Signs have cropped up all over town touting “Live Crawfish $1.50 per pound”, which is very much a first-of-the-season price. Near the end of the season, the price will go down to as low as $.49 a pound.
You must understand the culture, though. Predominantly Catholic, many bayou people are not eating any meat during Lent—the religious time of sacrifice between Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and Easter (Resurrection Sunday). Besides not eating meat, and especially not eating meat on Friday (more importantly, Good Friday–the day of Jesus’ crucifixion), devout Catholics also give up at least one thing they dearly love during this time.
Crawfish season just happens to fall during Lent, making these little mud dwellers a delicacy in demand. Until the past 10 years or so, crawfish were not eaten in the northern part of Louisiana like they are down here in the south. However, as “all things Cajun” became more and more popular, the cultural foods became popular, too.
Crawfish is no exception. Probably millions of pounds are boiled every Lenten season in huge pots in very spicy water, along with side items like ears of corn, small potatoes, whole onions, oranges, lemons, mushrooms, pieces of smoked sausage, and garlic pods.
We like to make a dipping sauce for any or all of the items that come out of the boiling pot. Again, this sauce can be as varied as the side items, but mine starts with a base of mayonniase, to which I add ketchup, mustard, worcestershire, hot sauce, and Cajun seasonings. We like to dip crackers in it, too. Yum!
Bon Appetit!
.
So, if you think eating these little mudbugs is gross, weird, or just plain nasty, then please educate me on something you eat from your culture that is on the same level with these weird-looking, but wonderful tasting crustaceans!
And by the way, they are really good left over. When everyone’s had their fill, and there are still crawfish on the table, some of us sit around and peel what’s left to be used later in crawfish stew, crawfish étouffée, or maybe even fried crawfish tails! Bayou people don’t waste anything!
Oh my gosh…they look soooo delicious!!! Nothing like a good crawfish boil!! Now I’m craving them!!
Thanks for stopping by. I’m going to pay you a visit!
Yep, you’re a “Northern Transplant”. You forgot about cleaning out the heads to use for making “Crawfish Bisque”! Like you said,” Bayou people don’t waste anything”. We’ll forgive your memory loss this time. We know you’ve had it rough the past month or so.
Well, Steph, I’ve been down here over half my life and all my kids were born here. There’s not much northern left to me except my relatives who still live in Shreveport! And about that bisque – it’s not something bayou people cook! That’s mostly up north in places like Gonzales and Baton Rouge!!!! LOL!
wow, that looks mighty delicious!!! I LOVE mudbugs!!!
and your photos look awesome!! Im ready for a crawfish boil right now, but as were are in bad weather, Ill just salivate until I can indulge.
Deb
btw…I have bought every new contraption for my “house guest” have seen them but to date, have only caught one….one….geeez…this is going to be a sleepless house for a long time…..
You know I love the corn, potatoes, and sausage! Are you going to boil me some when I come down there?
We can have a boil Saturday at BigSis’s before you leave? When ya leaving?
Looks great! but I think you got something backwards. The BEER goes in the keg, not the mud bugs!!!!! LOL
How ya like that keg boiling pot, huh?!!!
As my Grandaddy (the original Papa in our family) use ta say…. It get’s all up in ta your mouth! and… It aint good unless it is messy from ear ta ear and drippin’ from the elbows!
It’s just good…. As long as it is Cajun!
Papa Jeff
Oh that looks delicious. I feel a little ripped off here, I was born in NO but we moved when I was about five, and I’ve missed all the delicious food and culture. I know I would love mudbugs.
I’m out west now, and if you want to see what we consider a delicacy, come visit and check out my Feb. 6th post. I think it’s on the third or fourth page.
Love your blog, it’s so much fun to see other parts of the country from the comfort of my computer.
Thanks for stopping by! I’m sorry you don’t get to eat crawfish! They are delicious right now! The price is going down, too!
Okay, we really need to have a boil soon. Remind me of when we’re supposed to so that I can cancel any events I have that day!! Since I’m not catholic, I’m having crawfish withdrawls! (I have 2 catholic piano students who leave their lessons EVERY Friday and go eat crawfish at Bubba’s in Thibodaux!)
I love crawfish, in just about any way I can get them, but particularly in what we like to call Low Country Boil, which is a fancy way of saying boiled up with sausage, pototatoes, corn on the cob, and a seasoning mix. I actually like crawfish more than shrimp. That looks wonderful, BW!
I LOVE the quaint title of “Low Country Boil”, but that is exactly how we do it, but we just called it Boiled Crawfish. Nothing fancy about it! We’re doing one Sunday, and you will have a photo exhibit, blow by blow! Including someone “sucking the heads”!