Crawfish

Also spelled crayfish, crawfish are like itty-bitty lobsters. They’re the official state crustacean of Louisiana, where Cajun cuisine makes the most of them. They’re found in gumbo, etouffe, crawfish pie, bisque, and even savory beignets. The crowning way to enjoy them, in the spring when they are at their peak, is a crawfish boil. It’s a party meal where the boil master cooks the crawdads with plenty of spice in a big cast iron pot, adding corn on the cob and potatoes at the right time so all will be ready at once. The cooked crawfish are piled up in an elevated pirogue, the shallow-draft canoe that is used to traverse the bayous, and eaters help themselves.