The Controversial Canned Seafood Some Louisiana Locals Won't Touch

If you're a fan of Louisiana cooking, you're aware of the importance of seafood. Whether you enjoy the different culinary styles of Creole versus Cajun cuisine, you likely delight in a wonderfully prepared dish that features fresh, locally sourced fare. So, where does canned seafood fit in? If you're from Louisiana and the dish involves one particular kind of seafood from a can, you might not approve.

Canned crawfish, also called crayfish and crawdad (or even mudbugs) in Louisiana, is controversial at best, especially for use in local kitchens. The idea takes some time to get used to. Though the product itself might not be all bad, as suggested, some posters on Reddit have made disapproving, though somewhat playful comments, ranging from distaste to questioning the idea. One simply stated, "Thanks, I hate it. Sincerely, New Orleans," with another commenter adding, "This is how you get banned from the city forever." There were also some suggestions on crawfish etiquette, including thoughts on the best way to eat crawfish and in China, there are specific techniques used for navigating the shell. As for using canned crawfish in Louisiana cuisine, however, there are numerous reasons it might be problematic.

There are distinct culinary qualities in Louisiana and seafood is used in recipes across the state, often found in Cajun-style seafood boils where ingredients typically come from local sources. The way to guarantee a winning seafood boil is to use the best foods — the fresher, the better. In this case, canned crawfish won't help you prepare the best seafood boil, as the preferred ingredients in a southern seafood and crawfish boil include using live crawfish. Regional pride surrounds the crustacean; seafood boils in Louisiana are a tradition and there is even a crawfish festival to honor it.

Crawfish is caught in large quantities in Louisiana from November to mid-June, and restaurants benefit from the catch. Most of the crawfish harvested in Louisiana is red swamp crawfish and white river crawfish, and in Cajun (as well as Creole) cooking, the freshest, live crawfish is the pinnacle. New Orleans is a culinary hub that predominantly cooks in the Creole style and being known for quality food means using top-notch ingredients. Creole seasonings are often different than in Cajun cooking, include spices and ingredients inspired from the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa, and are often seen in gumbos, étouffée, and bisques. Though Creole-style cooking is rooted in French techniques, brought from the kitchens of wealthy settlers in the southern U.S., local fare is often the go-to choice. Fresh crawfish is on the menu at numerous New Orleans' eateries, and the canned crawfish variety simply wouldn't be appreciated.