More Katrina Fallout - CRAWFISH SHORTAGE

[BOSSHOG]

Up to 80 percent of this year's Louisiana's crawfish crop was destroyed by Hurricane's Katrina and Rita per the Times-Picayune:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137999504140350.xml

Three bucks a pound wholesale (an outrageous price) and ten bucks a pound for the tourist trade will not be unexpected.

Nothing beats a crawfish "berl" with corn on the cob and potatoes and sausage and garlic and ice cold beer; referably on a bayou. Its gonna hurt this spring.

[Botany]

1. Hmmm no

[MissMarple]

2. I had to google "crawfish berl". And I found this.....

"You berl crawfish and fry them in erl. Don't forget to pack the uneaten tails in ferl."
Debra Winbush

Lots of funny stuff. :rofl:

http://www.gumbopages.com/you-know.html

[Submariner]

3. I miss Henderson's Restaurant off of I-10 west of Baton Rouge

We used to go there for giant steaming platters of those bugs washed down with cold brew...Yummmm.

[Saphire]

8. How about Judices down in Port Arthur....great cajun dinners.

[Submariner]

10. Gee...I missed that one when I was working in PA a few years back

Next time through I'll hit it. Thanks.

[Saphire]

9. How about Judices down in Port Arthur....great cajun dinners.

[KamaAina]

4. Jeez. And just when there's a chance I might be back in by then.

No, seriously. I will be speaking with someone in town later in the week. I must be out of my mind, being in Hawai'i and all, but if there's a way I can put my skills to work on behalf of the city and region, you know I'll do it.

The T-P article mentions the existence of Chinese crawfish. Are they as unappetizing as they sound?

Goggle-eyed tourist: "I hear crawfish are an esteemed delicacy in France!"

Wily old Cajun: "I hear you get only three or four."

That's what it may be coming to. :(

[BOSSHOG]

5. I'm not sure of the chinese crawfish

Actually, its hard to know the origin of the crawfish you are eating. There have been signs (eat local) but it may be hard to know the difference. I believe crawfish are a delicacy. I think they are much more tasty than Lobster (more messy, but more tasty.) Three or four ain't even worth the effort. My wife and I "start with" ten pounds. What you actually eat is a fraction of that poundage but its kinda like (and I hate to say it) Chinese food, its very hard to fill up on crawfish.

21-23 April French Quarter Festival - New Orleans needs you to come and have a good time.

[pitohui]

11. to me they taste muddy or something

we now have full disclosure of all sources of seafood in law so you should be able to know what you're eating in louisiana

in grocery store definitely it will be properly labeled as to source, in restaurants, hmm, you may have to ask and they'd better know the answer

i've had chinese crawfish a long while back at a casino crawfish boil and to me it had a nasty muddy flavor, i've tried it in cooking and even in heavily sauced dishes to me it is not right altho my hubby can't taste the difference, it might be one of those things it depends on your taste buds

i'll likely just skip eating crawfish for awhile since i can't get accustomed to the chinese stuff

[EFerrari]

17. We sure could use a hand in the Hurricane Survivors Forum!

:)

[KamaAina]

19. I meant back in after *15 years*!

Another DUer is heading back in this spring after 20! Then again, he actually grew up there; I was only ever in for two years myself. I had kind of thought that part of my life was over, sort of like a relationship you think you're over until you hear she's in the hospital...

I was actually thinking of writing a humor piece titled "Carrollton Resident Evacuates, Retroactive to 1991". :-)

[sinkingfeeling]

6. My grocery stores have been out of sugar cubes since before Christmas.

I asked the manager the other night what was going on and he said it was from Katrina. None of the 3 grocery stores here have any, but I refused to check out the Wal-Mart Supercenter.

[pitohui]

14. be patient, the sugar is coming

the usda got in super-fast to assist in restoring the sugar refineries and to try to save the sugar crop which was spoiled by salt water from katrina but also from rita

some of the spoiled sugar is only good for reprocessing into splenda, however, they are getting the sugar plants back online as fast as they can because the gov't would otherwise be responsible for millions in subsidies to the farmers, so the sugar will be coming, the cubes may not be as big a priority as just getting the cane processed as fast as possible

[Vidar]

7. Substitute some other bottom feeders, though republicans not as tasty.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

13. ...

:rofl:

[KamaAina]

21. No use sucking the head of a republican.

Nothing up there except nasty smelly polluted air. :puke:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

12. Eeew...Crawfish.

Naaaaasty. :puke:

But for people who make a living off of it, that must really, really, really suck.

[pitohui]

15. if you think they're nasty you had chinese crawfish EOM

.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

16. I dunno WHAT I had, but it was really bad.

I'm just weird that way, I guess. I also detest lobster, the thought of which is sacrilege in Maine. :D ;) :P

[pitohui]

22. chinese i guarantee

and to my taste buds they are really bad and no comparison to the real thing

as far as lobster, the true maine lobster is excellent, but the spiny or caribbean lobster, they are tough and just not of the same quality

picky, picky, picky

[SmokingJacket]

18. We used to buy them down at the gas station.

At least once a week, ate them on newspaper with beer.

After I moved up north, I could only find crawfish that tasted like fishy mud. :cry:

I haven't eaten good crawfish in ten years...

I miss Louisiana... :cry:

[Swamp Rat]

20. I'll go get 'em myself.

We just had a hard rain, so I expect there will be plenty in no time. :9

Gonna berle me a hundred pounds! :9 :D