If you hail from the Southern region of the United States, you undoubtedly have either eaten, seen, or heard of Crawfish. Scientifically known as Cambarus sp, but also commonly referred to as “Crayfish” “Crawdads” “Mudbugs” and many other nicknames, these small crustaceans are found in freshwater ecosystems near the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River region. In the Southern states bordering these bodies of water, Crawfish are more than a crustacean; they are a delicacy that many look forward to consuming for a short time each year. While frozen Crawfish can be found in multiple states, including those in the North and Midwest regions, live Crawfish are a large part of Southern culture.
To provide background on the true origins of Crawfish, long before Europeans colonized the Southern United States, Native Americans consumed Crawfish, baiting their reeds with deer meat to catch the small crustaceans. Cajun legend states that after the Acadian (Cajun) people were exiled from Nova Scotia in the 1700s, the lobsters “yearned for the Cajuns so much, that they set off across the country to find them” (Townsend, Airways Freight). In the explanation of this myth, it is said that the journey for the lobsters from Canada was so strenuous that by the time they had reached Louisiana, they had shrunk in size. Festivals were later held to honor the “small lobster,” now commonly known as Crawfish. While the validity of this myth is unconfirmed, in July of 1983, the Crawfish was appointed as the state crustacean by the governor of Louisiana, making it also the first state to adopt a crustacean.
While I consider myself a Southerner, Crawfish – specifically live Crawfish – are not commonly found in West Florida. However, upon moving to Texas and spending much of my time with friends and families from not only Texas, but also Louisiana, I have realized the true spectacle that is Crawfish season. Each year, the season is entirely dependent on the weather, yet the most reliable months where you are almost guaranteed to find the best Crawfish are mid-February through late May (although each Southerner has their own perception of when Crawfish are at their peak). Additionally, Crawfish are a crustacean containing very minimal Mercury, making them particularly safe for children and pregnant women to consume.
While I traveled between Florida and Texas frequently during my senior year of high school, this was my first year of truly experiencing Crawfish season in full force. While restaurants have Crawfish boils all across the state of Texas throughout Crawfish season, these gatherings are nothing compared to Crawfish festivals held in many major cities. During the last weekend of April – prime Crawfish season – I traveled to Port O’Connor, located on the Gulf coastline between Galveston and Corpus Christi, for their 10th annual Crawfish Festival.
As a Floridian, the environment was like nothing I had ever experienced. Our group entered by boat, making an entirely fashionable entrance to the festival, where we then trekked through the shallow gulf water to King Fisher Park where the festival was being held. There, we received wristbands for the competition portion of the festival. With forty-one teams lined up across the park, all serving their variation of Crawfish, spectators and Crawfish enthusiasts can gift a team with a plastic gold coin if they feel that their Crawfish is worthy of an award at the end of the competition. There are multiple categories within the competition as well, those being “Champion Crawfish” “Side Dish” “Bloody Mary” “Best Decorated Booth” and “People’s Choice.” While I did not have a chance to try all of the vendors, occupied by other aspects of the festival such as delicious lemonade and funnel cakes, I did take note of a few of my favorites:
- Bayou Outlaw was one of my personal favorite teams from the competition. Their crawfish were boiled with lemon, giving them an acidic flavor that complemented the perfect amount of cajun heat. They additionally finished 3rd in the “Champion Crawfish” category- a well deserved titled in my eyes.
- Natty Crawlers, also the winner of the “People’s Choice” category in 2021, took home the title for another year in a row, which I felt was well deserved. Their crawfish was cooked to perfection with the perfect amount of seasoning, not to mention their team was the most interactive with spectators who circled the booths.
- While the heat of Bobbie’s Bugs’ Crawfish was different from the heat that many enthusiasts prefer, I enjoyed that they were boiled and served with pineapple, making for a sweet yet savory flavor that I ceased to find anywhere else at the festival.
Overall, I can safely say that the Port O’Connor festival was not only a fantastic experience, but was also a perfect introduction to how to peel and eat Crawfish, and even further, how to enjoy them. There is a slight learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you will have two pounds down in no time. The website “We Love Crawfish,” contains a list of many of the most popular Crawfish festivals throughout Texas if you are looking for a weekend getaway or just an excuse to simply enjoy Crawfish season to its fullest extent.
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