![]() ![]() The Cajuns are descendants of the Acadians, who after their forced exile from French Canada by the British between 17, settled in southwestern Louisiana. One legend states that the crawfish are actually Maine lobsters that followed the Cajuns all the way from Nova Scotia to Louisiana and shrunk in size due to their long and tiring journey. Many legends surround the crawfish in Cajun culture. ![]() The rise in popularity of the crawfish is, however, more synonymous with increasing interest in Louisiana’s Cajun culture. The Choctaw Indians, Houma Indians, and other tribes harvested and consumed crawfish long before the Cajuns arrived the crawfish also has special significance in Native American folklore. The crawfish is not really seafood it is a freshwater shellfish that thrives abundantly in the mud of Louisiana’s freshwater bayous.Ĭrawfish resemble tiny lobsters, are cheaper than other shellfish, and have tender and flavorful meat. The crawfish was designated as Louisiana’s state crustacean on July 14, 1983, and since then has been part of Louisiana’s culinary heritage. Like the lobster, the crawfish was initially seen as the ‘poor man’s food’ and looked down upon.Īs the crawfish consumption increased, it started appearing on restaurant menus and has now become central to menus in Cajun eateries.Īs the Louisiana crawfish industry grew and prospered, commercial crawfish farming became a major part of Louisiana’s economy. The festival was started in 1960 after Breaux Bridge was named the crawfish capital of the world. Louisiana hosts many crawfish festivals every season, the most famous of them all being the Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival. Not many people know that the Big Easy is a family-friendly destination and there are many things to do in New Orleans with teenagers and toddlers. Friends and family gather to feast on pounds and pounds of crawfish, shrimp, and other shellfish. Once an exclusively rural activity, crawfish boils are now held in many urban and non-Cajun homes. (Pssst… Are you attending Mardi Gras in New Orleans? Read our guide on where to stay, what to do and more.)Īlso known as the Cajun Seafood Boils, these outdoor festive ritual meals are held on weekends and holidays, in backyards, till the start of summer.Ĭrawfish boil cooking techniques and seasoning recipes are passed down from generation to generation. The first boils of the season are usually held to celebrate carnival season. That’s the official start of Louisiana’s great gastronomic tradition – Crawfish Boils. In Louisiana, crawfish season begins in February and coincides with the carnival season – and New Orlean’s epic Mardi Gras celebrations. ![]()
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