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Procambarus clarkii, known variously as the red swamp crayfish, Louisiana crawfish or mudbug, [3] is a species of cambarid crayfish native to freshwater bodies of northern Mexico, and southern and southeastern United States, but also introduced elsewhere (both in North America and other continents), where it is often an invasive pest.
Louisiana crawfish are usually boiled in a large pot with heavy seasoning (salt, cayenne pepper, lemon, garlic, bay leaves, etc.) and other items such as potatoes, corn on the cob, onions, garlic, and sausage. There are many differing methods used to season a crawfish boil and an equal number of opinions on which one is correct. [16]
Ears of corn, new potatoes, onions, and heads of garlic are usually included in shrimp and crawfish boils. Some people will add smoked sausage links or mushrooms. When cooking crawfish there is a debate over whether or not the crawfish must first be purged by covering them with clear water and a generous amount of salt for a few minutes.
Louisiana produces 100 million pounds (45 million kilograms) of crawfish per year with the red swamp and white river crawfish being the main species harvested. [20] Crawfish are a part of Cajun culture dating back hundreds of years. [21] A variety of cottage industries have developed as a result of commercialized crawfish iconography.
The salt is made from water harvested at high tide and pumped to drying beds. Shibles works in a building in Chatham, which has two greenhouses for drying and a small packaging and production space.
The second is a liquid concentrate that can be added directly to the water. The concentrate form can also be used as a flavor enhancer for soups. Other regional crab boil companies are Tony Chachere's, and Rex Crab Boil. Note that even when boiling shrimp or crawfish, most recipes call for adding crab boil packets as a seasoning.
In Houston, Texas, a regional style of Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish has developed. [16] [17] The Cherokee have a long tradition of catching crawdads by gigging. The crawdads are cleaned, then soaked, "in hot water with about one tablespoon of salt." The crawdads are lightly breaded with cornmeal before frying, and seasoned with salt and pepper. [18]
The genus Cambarus is the second largest freshwater crayfish genus inhabiting the Northern Hemisphere, with only sixty fewer species than the genus Procambarus. [2] Though Cambarus are varied across species, the two terminal elements that make up the male form I gonopod form ninety degree angles with the central appendage, allowing for their identification.