Crawfish

Everything you ever wanted to know about crawfish

Crawfish

Everything you ever wanted to know about crawfish

ART: Palinuridae

BEST FISHING SEASONS: The best fishing times for crawfish vary by species and region. Generally, crawfish are caught during the warmer months when they are in nearshore waters

PREPARATION: Fried, grilled, cooked or even raw

ARTRELATED: lobster, crayfish, shrimp

REZEPTVORSCHLAG: Karibische Languste auf Wintersalat mit Orangenfilets oder Gebratener Langustenschwanz auf buntem Marktsalat

TASTE:

The crawfish meat has a nutty, spicy to slightly sweet taste and is slightly milder and less sweet compared to lobster. The texture is firm and tender, similar to lobster or crab meat. The meat of the crawfish is generally drier than that of the lobster. During cooking, the crawfish develops a characteristic red color due to the release of the substance astaxanthin.

The crawfish, also known as langoustine, belongs to the palinurid family. The crawfish's natural habitat includes coastal regions, particularly rocky coasts, at depths between 30 and 100 meters. Crawfish prefer moderate water temperatures and feed primarily at night on mussels, snails and other smaller sea creatures. Characteristic features of the langoustine are its long antennae on the head, which are longer than the entire body and even extend beyond the tail. They have a hard reddish-brown shell that must shed its skin when a growth spurt is imminent. You can find out more about this in our fun fact. The crawfish reaches a length of around 50 cm and a weight of around 2 kg. It has less pronounced claws and has different colors depending on its origin, such as deep red with white spots in European crawfish or pink to greenish in crawfish from West Africa.

Another species of crawfish is the Tristan crawfish. It is considered the highest quality cold water crawfish in the world due to its unique taste and the pristine environment in which it is found. The main difference between a regular crawfish and a Tristan crawfish lies in their origin and quality. Regular crawfish are well-known crustaceans, while the Tristan crawfish comes specifically from Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic, considered the most remote inhabited island in the world, making it a rare and high quality delicacy. Regular crawfish, on the other hand, are more common and can vary in species and quality, while the Tristan crawfish is particularly sought after due to its exceptional taste and exclusivity.

Both the crawfish and the Tristan crawfish are a delicacy with tender, slightly sweet meat. Rich in nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and vitamins E, C and B6, they are lean, low in calories and filling. The crawfish has "mock claws" and a curved tail with soft flesh. The cooking time should not be exceeded to avoid a rubbery result.

Popular among gourmets and in star gastronomy, both types of crawfish are valued for their exquisite taste and nutritional benefits.

Crawfish in detail

Schwanzflosse

Der gekrümmte Schwanz mit zartem und weichem Fleisch ist bei Feinschmeckern besonders beliebt.

Schwanzflosse

Der gekrümmte Schwanz mit zartem und weichem Fleisch ist bei Feinschmeckern besonders beliebt.

Fun fact:

Crawfish have the ability to shed their shell and shed their skin to grow. This process is called molting. During molt, crawfish are particularly vulnerable to predators because their new shell is still soft until it solidifies.