A Louisiana favorite, called "crawfish" here, or mudbugs, hillbillies or crawdads - only Yankees and tourists call them crayfish. If you go to a New Orleans restaurant and ask for crayfish, they'll automatically ask, "Where are you from?" Their flavor is delicate and their fat enriches sauces, though they achieve their greatest renown in the "étouffée."

Crayfish is more tender than lobster, more delicate than shrimp, and has a unique flavor all its own. In the spring, whole families go out crawfishing on the bayous, while in-field crayfish farms are an age-old tradition that still thrive today. These delicious crustaceans are now raised commercially and are an important Louisiana industry.