1 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 2: I'm Annie Reese and I'm more in Vocal Bomb, and 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 2: today we have an episode for you. We have a 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 2: classic episode for you about crayfish, yes, or crapfish or 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 2: whatever else you want to call them, so many different 6 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 2: names people like to call these things. 7 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: Well, was there any reason this was on your mind, Lauren? 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 2: Nope, nope, nope. I was just looking through the archives 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 2: for something interesting and remembered having such a heck and 10 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 2: good time recording this episode back in May of twenty eighteen. 11 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 2: And indeed it's a really fun one. So I was like, yeah, yeah, 12 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 2: let's talk. Let's let's return to crayfish. 13 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,959 Speaker 1: Let's return to crayfish. As I discussed in this episode, 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: I do associate it with hanging out with people, which 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: the holidays are extensibly about. Normally it's more of a 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 1: springtime thing, but it is like a kind of a 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: communal in my experience. It's usually like you pour the 18 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: big thing out and then we all try to crack 19 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: them open some more successfully. 20 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No. I mean, like I write, 21 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: the first time that I ever had them was at 22 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 2: like a big Southern boil where you yeah, you cook 23 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 2: a bunch of potatoes and corn and sausage and crayfish 24 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: and various seasonings in a big ol pot and then 25 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 2: you just dump it all out on newspaper on a 26 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 2: picnic table and then everyone just kind of like grabs 27 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: what they want and yeah, yeah, yeah, it's lovely. 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: Yes. 29 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 2: And I will also say that I really enjoyed googling 30 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: for any updates on this subject, because the results are 31 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 2: this amazing mix of like notices of new spottings of 32 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: invasive species in various places, potential spottings of entirely new 33 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: species in various places, and in Colorado, a lift on 34 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 2: an apparently long ignored band on importing crayfish from the 35 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 2: Gulf for fear that they would become invasive. 36 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, so a lot of different a lot of 37 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: different things going on in the world of grapefish. Got it? 38 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: Got it? I do need to do need to go 39 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: get some? I yeah, yep, yes, yeah, Actually I should 40 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,679 Speaker 1: ask my friends about where she gets hers, because I 41 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: would love to make like a like gumbo situation. Oh yeah, yeah. 42 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 2: I think I think the last time, the last time 43 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 2: that I had some, I had some in some like 44 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,720 Speaker 2: like kind of like vaguely Cajun style fried rice. 45 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:52,679 Speaker 1: M that sounds good. Yeah, well, I guess we shouldn't 46 00:02:52,760 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: let past Annie and Lauren take it away. Hello, and 47 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: welcome to food Stuff. I'm Annie Rays. 48 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:15,399 Speaker 2: And I'm Louren Vocal Bomb, and today we're doing another. 49 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: Seafood related episode. 50 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 2: It's about a crustacean. 51 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: It is the Crawfish, and I have a theme song. 52 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna hum and I want you to try and 53 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 1: guess what it is. And I think you'll be able 54 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: to do it. Okay, do doo doo doo doo. Jurassic Park, 55 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: have you all got it? I know my humming is 56 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: a well some have said it's off key, but uh, 57 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: this episode made me think so much of Jurassic Park. 58 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: And it's finally time to talk about cloning. Cloning, yes, 59 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: because life finds a way. And let's hope this isn't 60 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: an attack of the Clone situation. 61 00:03:58,480 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: Oh hopefully not. 62 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: We've talked. 63 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 2: I mean, you've talked about clouding before with with Clone Annie. 64 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: You know about Clone and Annie. 65 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 2: I mean I listened to the episode. Oh no, I 66 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: mean she disappeared before I got into the studio. 67 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: But she totally exists. I don't know. I haven't seen 68 00:04:17,880 --> 00:04:20,919 Speaker 1: it in a while. Yeah, I'm hoping she'll check in soon. 69 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: I hope she's not causing any mayhem. That's all I 70 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: can say. 71 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,160 Speaker 2: I was gonna say that she should she should send 72 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 2: in some like some like correspondent like reporting. But if 73 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 2: it's mayhammy correspondent reporting, I'm not sure if that's we 74 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: can talk about it later anyway. Crawfish, let's talk about 75 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 2: some etymology. Yeah, because because the term if you if 76 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: you google it, the more proper term is crayfish, which 77 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 2: I was surprised to learn. Crawfish is a Southern thing, right, 78 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 2: also also craw Yes, so you got crawfish, crayfish, and crawdad, 79 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 2: and they're the same thing. 80 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: Okay, In southern parts of the US, you are more 81 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: likely to hear crawfish. In the north, crayfish. Crawdad is 82 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: more of a term they use in the Western States 83 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: and particularly Oklahoma, Kansas. In Arkansas, apparently in the Mississippi Delta, 84 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: some folks call them mudbugs. Sounds so appetizing. 85 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: Etymology notes, although crawfish live in the water, that they 86 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 2: are crustaceans, not fish, and the fish in their name 87 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 2: does not come from the root word of fish, but 88 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 2: rather from a mispronunciation of the old Anglo French word 89 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 2: for the animal crevise. Crevise has its roots in German 90 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 2: words for crab, and at some point in the fifteen 91 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 2: hundreds enough folks misheard and mispronounced crevise is crayfish in 92 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 2: English that the word stuck. I'm probably not quite pronouncing 93 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: it as parallel as I should be, but if you 94 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 2: say it over and over again, like I did quietly 95 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 2: to myself at my desk the other day, you'll start 96 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 2: to see it. Yeah, okay, And eventually crayfish branched into 97 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 2: crawfish over the next century or so in different areas. 98 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,679 Speaker 2: But yeah, around the world, there's lots of different words 99 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 2: for the. 100 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: Things, right, A yabbie or a cora in Australia and 101 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: folks who keep them as pets and Singapore call them 102 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: freshwater lobsters. Fair enough, makes sense. Yeah, I have a 103 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: friend that has a crawfish boil every year in the 104 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 1: spring and it's lovely. Oh, I love a craffish boil. 105 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: If you've never been to one, it's usually an outdoor 106 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: event where you gather your friends, your family. You boil 107 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: huge pots of crawfish with usually with corn, potatoes, sausage, 108 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 1: and some spices and seasonings. Then dump the finished product 109 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: onto newspaper covered tables, usually the fold away kind, and 110 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 1: you have feast away. Oh yeah, yeah, but this is 111 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: another food that I struggle very much with eating. 112 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 2: Oh they don't want to be I mean they resist it. 113 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: They very much do. Usually went at this crawfish boil event, 114 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: I eat far more sausage and to crawfish. Yeah, but 115 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: local Atlanta restaurant shout out to Crawfish Shack Seafood. Yes, 116 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: according to their website, we receive shipments of fresh crawfish daily. 117 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: And there's an article in the New York Times that 118 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: mentions them called Vietnamese immigrants carry on a Cajun food 119 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: tradition because it's kind of a fusion. 120 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's run by a Vietnamese family and they also 121 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 2: have some Korean items on the menu. And Atlanta seriously, 122 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 2: Crawfish Shack is so good. Yeah, go to there. It's 123 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 2: on Beauford Highway, inside the perimeter between like Shambley Tucker 124 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 2: and Claremont, kind of. 125 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: Right over by the CDC. 126 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 2: Seriously, it's a tiny hole in the wall and it's 127 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:48,480 Speaker 2: so good. 128 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, I've spent many a late night. 129 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah when I lived, when I lived closer 130 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 2: to there, it was it was dangerous. 131 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: All right, all of that side. Crawfish, what is it? 132 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 2: Crawfish look like wee little lobsters about three to six 133 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 2: inches long. That's like eight to fifteen centimeters, although some 134 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 2: species can get bigger. They are as we've said, crustaceans, 135 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 2: meaning that they're animals that don't have an interior skeletal system, 136 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 2: but rather an exoskeleton, you know, like like bugs or 137 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 2: like Ripley in the movie Aliens. In the case of crawfish, 138 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 2: that exoskeleton may be brown or blue, or red or 139 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 2: golden or sort of modeled with all of those colors. 140 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 2: And they've got two main body areas. They've got the abdomen, 141 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 2: which is the tail part and contains mostly muscle, and 142 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 2: the cephalothorax, which is the torso and head part and 143 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 2: contains mostly organs. Okay, they have two pairs of walking 144 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 2: only legs in the back four in total, two pairs 145 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 2: of legs with small pinchers in the front for like 146 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 2: minor object manipulation and an extra walking power. And then 147 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 2: one pair of front legs that are capped in these 148 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 2: big powerful claws that they used to get stuff done. Yeah, fighting, feeding, 149 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 2: moving stuff around, you know, crawfish stuff. 150 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. And they are. 151 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 2: Assisted in these tasks by their one pair of eyestalks, 152 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 2: two pairs of antennae, and three pairs of mouth parts. 153 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 2: They chew their food though with a set of three 154 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 2: teeth called a gastric mill. Okay, And they pee through 155 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 2: glands located in their faces just under their antenna. 156 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: Oh. 157 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 2: They also have four pairs of these wee little limbs 158 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 2: along the undersides of their tails called swimmerets that help 159 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 2: with reproductive functions and also to circulate water to and 160 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 2: from their gills. 161 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: These things sound wild. What is going on? Crawfordish? I 162 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 1: don't know, but I love it. 163 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,080 Speaker 2: So much, so straight I got. The more I read 164 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 2: about them, the more I was just giddy. It's just like, 165 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,680 Speaker 2: this sounds like a terrible monster thing. 166 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: It really does. 167 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 2: They're so tasty, And I said, I said, gills. They 168 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,959 Speaker 2: will happily live their whole lives underwater. They don't need 169 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,560 Speaker 2: to be above water for any particular reason. They breathe 170 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 2: through their gills, but they can survive in air for 171 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 2: a decent while as long as their gills stay stay moist. 172 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 2: They don't really swim, though they can push themselves backwards 173 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: with a sort of undercurling thrust of their long, broad 174 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 2: segmented tail in case of emergency, but for the most part, 175 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 2: they just crawl along the floor of their freshwater habitats 176 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,479 Speaker 2: ponds or streams, or the shallows of rivers or lakes, 177 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:45,319 Speaker 2: foraging for food. They're omnivores, avoiding predators, sometimes digging burrows, 178 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 2: and sometimes making babies. Crawfish usually reproduce sexually, usually on 179 00:10:53,679 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 2: more on that in a minute. Then the females carry 180 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 2: the eggs inside their bodies for a few weeks and 181 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 2: then outside their stuck to the underside of their tails. 182 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 2: The hatchlings will hang out literally still attached to the 183 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: underside of their mother's tail, for another few weeks through 184 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 2: a molt or two a malt a molt what molting? 185 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:15,840 Speaker 1: Okay? 186 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 2: So Unlike our skin and bones, which grow with us, 187 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 2: crawfish's exoskeletons cannot grow with them. A crawfish shell is 188 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 2: semi flexible but pretty solid. It's made of kiten and 189 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,959 Speaker 2: reinforced with calcium carbonate that they consume in their diets 190 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 2: and excrete through the specialized sort of skin. When the 191 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 2: crawfish starts getting too big for their current shell, it'll 192 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: shed that exoskeleton and grow a new, bigger one for 193 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 2: it to grow into. 194 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: Right, and they can do this up to fifteen times, 195 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 1: and they generally double in size with each shed. 196 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 2: They may eat their molted shells to regain the minerals 197 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 2: from them. 198 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: Of course, of. 199 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,319 Speaker 2: Course, why not. That's good sense. Come on, it is 200 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 2: depending on the species. They may live anywhere from a 201 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 2: couple of years to several years. And in addition to 202 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 2: growing new shells, many crawfish will grow whole new limbs 203 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 2: if they lose one. 204 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: So it's very loved, crafty, and it's a good superpower. 205 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: That is true. Around the world. There are over six 206 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: hundred species of crawfish, half of which are from the 207 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: US and Canada. In two thousand and nine, biologists discovered 208 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: a species in Tennessee that can reach the size of 209 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: a lobster. They're kind of baffled as to how no 210 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: one's ever seen it before. I who knows good burrowers? 211 00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: They are, yes, yeah, And here's my question. Lauren, how 212 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: in the world do you eat these things? Oh? 213 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 2: Man, Well, unlike some crustaceans like shrimp, crawfish shells are 214 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 2: too hard for humans to eat, so you got to 215 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 2: get them out of there. 216 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. 217 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. A crawfish are frequently cooked whole, either boiled or roasted. 218 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 2: Once they're cooked through and you've taken them off the 219 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: heat and gotten them two more or less the points 220 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 2: that they're cool enough to touch, you crack them open. 221 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 2: And there are tools that can help you with this, 222 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 2: and you might need those to get meat out of 223 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 2: the claw section, or if the crawfish is kind of 224 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 2: on the large side and the shell is too thick 225 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: to manipulate. But for most American crawfish, you're just going 226 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,559 Speaker 2: to use your hands to separate the two halves of 227 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 2: the crawfish that abdomen or tail part from that cephalothorax 228 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 2: or the head slash torso part. What you do is 229 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 2: you get you get a good grip on the tail 230 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 2: with one hand and the torso with your other hand, 231 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 2: and you sort of pinch down at the right of 232 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 2: the division in between the two sections, and the sections 233 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,600 Speaker 2: are clear because the torso head is smooth and hard 234 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 2: with a carapace, and the tail part is segmented and 235 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 2: a little bit bendier, and then you just sort of bend, twist, 236 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 2: and pull at the same time and the two halves 237 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 2: will come apart in theory, hypothetically, once you do so. 238 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 2: The tail contains a sort of dense, spongy meat that 239 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 2: pulls apart in threads, sort of like pulled pork. But 240 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 2: it has a clean, slightly sweet, slightly earthy, briny, seafoody taste, 241 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 2: and it's pretty easy to just pull it out or 242 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 2: pick it out with a fork. The head, meanwhile, contains 243 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 2: a sort of soupy, spongy bit of meat that's a 244 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 2: little bit more savory and gamey than the tail, and 245 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 2: more heavily flavored. It's going to be more heavily flavored 246 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 2: with whatever spices you've added to your boil or your 247 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 2: roasting pan. To get the full experience, you both pick 248 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: out the tail meat and suck the meat out of 249 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 2: the torso head. It's important to suck the head. 250 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:45,920 Speaker 1: I've heard that, Lauren. 251 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, I just have I struggle a lot oh meat, 252 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:53,480 Speaker 2: me too. 253 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. That the Crappie boiled I go to every year. 254 00:14:57,400 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: I'm always the one that's just failing, and everyone else 255 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: has it down and. 256 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 2: They've eaten like a billion and yes, and you've had 257 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 2: like two yes. 258 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,480 Speaker 1: And like I barely got anything out of either of them, 259 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: and my hands are bleeding somehow. 260 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 2: I always cut myself. I always cut myself on the 261 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 2: shell edges. 262 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 1: It's we're just the crawfish are winning against us, Laura. Yeah, though, 263 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: to be. 264 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 2: Fair, I didn't go to a boil until I was 265 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 2: like thirty, I think, so, yeah, so I've I haven't 266 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 2: had I'm still learning. 267 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: Okay. It's a process, it is a skill, and there's time, Lauren, 268 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:34,440 Speaker 1: there's time. 269 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,560 Speaker 2: Aside from it being difficult. Some people do not eat 270 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 2: crawfish because they are not kosher, and or they object 271 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 2: to the fact that crawfish are generally alive when they 272 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 2: are cooked right. There is some scientific disagreement about whether 273 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 2: crawfish and other crustaceans can feel pain, and therefore whether 274 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 2: it's cruel to cook them alive. The thing is, like, 275 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 2: they don't have brains or central nervous systems. The general 276 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 2: consensus is that it would be kinder to knock crustaceans 277 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 2: out before cooking them, either stunning them with cold or 278 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 2: with electric shock, or by just quickly removing or otherwise 279 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 2: mechanically destroying the ganglia or the nerve bundles that help 280 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 2: these crustaceans coordinate their responses to stimuli. But it is 281 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 2: physically impossible, as far as humans know, for crawfish and 282 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 2: other crustaceans to experience the negative feedback loop that we 283 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 2: do when we experience pain, like we have a sensation 284 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 2: of hurt and then the emotion of being upset about it, 285 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,840 Speaker 2: which can intensify the sensation of hurt. That's how human 286 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 2: things work. They do not have that anyway, if you 287 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 2: do choose to eat them well. 288 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: Crawfish tails are relatively low calorie, low fat, the good 289 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: source of protein with a decent amount of calcium, iron, 290 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: phosphorus and b vitem. They are popular food during Lint 291 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: when Catholics don't eat meat. On Fridays you can find 292 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: them and a lot of Cajun or Creole cuisine like 293 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: etufe and gumbo. 294 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 2: You can also put their meat in anything that you 295 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:15,240 Speaker 2: would use lobster or shrimp for and their shells and 296 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:18,919 Speaker 2: spare bits are really good for making stock. And I 297 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:21,640 Speaker 2: think crawfish have a bit of a reputation as being 298 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 2: like dirty, you know, like like ill their bottom featers right, 299 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: Maybe partially because of their flavor. Maybe it's just classism, maybe, 300 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 2: but crawfish actually have a very low tolerance for pollution. 301 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 2: Healthy populations of crawfish are a benchmark of water quality 302 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 2: in areas where they live, and they prefer to eat 303 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,919 Speaker 2: living stuff to dead stuff. Though they're pretty opportunistic. They'll 304 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 2: eat basically whatever they can get a hold of. 305 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,400 Speaker 1: Sure, I thought kind of to this point, I as 306 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: a kid, thought crawfish with crawl fish crawl fish, Oh, 307 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 1: as they crawl suare on the ground, and therefore they 308 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: might be dirty. Yeah, And I think we're going to 309 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,440 Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about other reasons that might 310 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: be in a bit, But for now, let's look at 311 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: some numbers, crawfish numberswfish numbers. When I think of crawfish, 312 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 1: I think of Louisiana. Sure, most of the crawfish consumed 313 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: in the US, which is around ninety percent in twenty twelve, 314 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:25,320 Speaker 1: come from Louisiana, with more than sixteen hundred farmers on 315 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 1: one hundred and eleven thousand acres of ponds producing one 316 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 1: hundred million pounds, amounting to about two hundred and ten 317 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: million dollars a year for the state. Farm raised crawfish 318 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: make up eighty eight percent of US commercial sales. Crawfish 319 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: season is still a big deal there, both industrially and culturally. 320 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: And I will say a quick note about those numbers. 321 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 1: I saw a lot of differing numbers, but all within 322 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: that range, and that was those were from the Smithsonian 323 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: magazine report on it. 324 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 2: So I'm going to hope that those were pretty pretty 325 00:18:59,640 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 2: on on point. Yeah, close. 326 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,120 Speaker 1: Crawfish season does peak in April when the floodwaters forced 327 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: the crawfish out of their burrows, but it can go 328 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: anywhere from November to June due to crawfish farming. And 329 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: even though Louisiana crawfish you think of Louisiana, but you 330 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: can find them in Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal, Kenya, and Uganda, 331 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 1: among other places. 332 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, they've been exported to be farmed to many other places. 333 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: Absolutely, And I did see a lot of these when 334 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 1: I was in Muhan, China, Xiaolongzia, which translates to small 335 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: dragon stamp. I saw so many people in the streets 336 00:19:35,040 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: these big buckets. Oh wow. Yeah, I never tried them, 337 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:42,159 Speaker 1: but Oh yeah, man, I was very nervous, like I 338 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:43,800 Speaker 1: knew I couldn't eat them in the US, and I 339 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: was like, I don't need to make a fool myself 340 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: in China more than I already am. They first arrived 341 00:19:49,840 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: to China in the nineteen forties. The Louisiana crawfish crawfish, yeah, yeah, 342 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: And while they are popular food stuff in the country, 343 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: they do present a problem for some of the native 344 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: fish population and important commercial plants like rice and lotus. Farmers, 345 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: knowing that the species is invasive and destructive to their 346 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: rice patties, may still keep a pond full of them 347 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 1: because they make them more money than the rice does. 348 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: And I read an an interview with one of the 349 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: farmers that does this, and he said he would prefer 350 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: he makes more money off of crawfish, and if he could, 351 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,160 Speaker 1: that's all he would make his money off of. Oh wow. 352 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: As opposed to rice. Rice ponds are a great environment 353 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,840 Speaker 1: for crawfish. In Louisiana, a lot of flooded rice fields 354 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,000 Speaker 1: have been turned into crawfish ponds. 355 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. Or some farmers will do rice one year and 356 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 2: then crawfish the next, and switching back and forth. 357 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:41,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. And in recent years, there has been some controversy 358 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: over Chinese crawfish in American stores, appearing under names that 359 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: imply that they are from Louisiana. The Louisiana Crawfish Association 360 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 1: claims that Chinese crawfish are treated with an antibiotic band 361 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:57,399 Speaker 1: here in the US, chloram finicol. A law pass in 362 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 1: the US in two thousand and eight requires that when 363 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 1: a paid can ask where crawfish comes from at a 364 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: Louisiana restaurant, they have to tell you. It's called colloquially 365 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: the ask before you eat law. Uh yeah, huh. 366 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,600 Speaker 2: But like Annie said earlier, there are species of crawfish 367 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 2: native to all lots of places around the world. North 368 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 2: America does have the highest biodiversity of crawfish species, and 369 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,919 Speaker 2: some of the most popular for eating crawfish have traditionally 370 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 2: been on the less popular end of the seafood industry, 371 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,720 Speaker 2: but it is expected to grow globally in coming years. 372 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:33,920 Speaker 2: But that is the future. 373 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:36,119 Speaker 1: Yes, let's look at the past. 374 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 2: Let's but first let's look at a quick break for 375 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 2: a word from our sponsor. 376 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 1: And we're back. Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. And 377 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: we're back with history. 378 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 2: Yes, the ancient Greeks are said to have enjoyed crawfish 379 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 2: along with a bunch of others shellfish, although the same 380 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 2: words were often used interchangeably at the time for freshwater 381 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 2: crawfish and saltwater lobsters of various sorts, and even sometimes 382 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 2: for crabs. So thanks for nothing, ancient Greeks. 383 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:19,920 Speaker 1: Yeah. We talked a bit about the Acadians, the ancestors 384 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 1: of the Cajuns that came from Canada down to Louisiana 385 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: in our Jumbalaya episode. They often get the credit for 386 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,960 Speaker 1: introducing crawfish to Louisiana, but the indigenous people of the 387 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 1: region were certainly eating crawfish before they arrived, long before. Yeah. 388 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 1: They use reeds baited with a venison to catch them. 389 00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:40,560 Speaker 1: When the Acadians arrived around seventeen fifty five, they quickly 390 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: discovered that the swamps and bayou that they settled near 391 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:47,119 Speaker 1: were full of these weird looking things, and thanks to 392 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,640 Speaker 1: their familiarity with lobster catching in Canada and their close 393 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: proximity with the indigenous peoples of the region, it didn't 394 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,240 Speaker 1: take people long for them to become for crawfish to 395 00:22:56,280 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: become a favorite among the settlers. The first own record 396 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: of commercial crawfish in the state dates back to eighteen 397 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: hundred twenty three four hundred pounds worth about two one 398 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 1: hundred and forty dollars according to this calculator I found, 399 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: that's about forty one thousand dollars in today's oh Wow money. 400 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:20,600 Speaker 1: Although commercial sales didn't really start until the eighteen hundreds, 401 00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: were coming to a close with the introduction of larger 402 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: nets that made harvest easier. In nineteen oh eight, with 403 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 1: the help of technological advances and industrialization, the number of 404 00:23:30,680 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: commercial craw fists reached eighty eight thousand pounds valued at 405 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,960 Speaker 1: thirty six hundred dollars or over ninety three thousand dollars 406 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: in today's money, So that's a pretty big boost there. 407 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:47,439 Speaker 2: Speaking of industrialization, commercial crawfish farming in man made ponds 408 00:23:47,480 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 2: got its start in the nineteen sixties, which really upped 409 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 2: the quality of crawfish production. Before then, crawfish were really 410 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 2: just harvested from their native environments, and this was the 411 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 2: first time that people were using aquaculture to farm crawfish. 412 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,399 Speaker 2: It was partially due to interest and partially because with 413 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 2: the rise of mass industry, many rivers around the world 414 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 2: became too polluted for crawfish to survive on their own. 415 00:24:14,960 --> 00:24:18,120 Speaker 1: And from there the industry only grew and is now 416 00:24:18,160 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: the largest freshwater crustacean industry in the country. Before this innovation, 417 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:26,920 Speaker 1: crawfish had been deemed a poor man's food. Up to 418 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: this point. For a lot of people, crawfish was the 419 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: bait you would use to catch actual quote food. But 420 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties and man made ponds changed that, and 421 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: of course the price rose from about five cents a 422 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 1: pound to about twenty five cents a pound or around 423 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,440 Speaker 1: two dollars in today's money. Nineteen sixties saw the first 424 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: Barolbridge Crawfish Festival to celebrate Barolbridge being dubbed Crawfish Capital 425 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: of the World. The festival's goal was to improve the 426 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: reputation of the crawfish, and it still takes place every 427 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: year to this day. A court of crawfish Royalty is chosen. 428 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: The queen gets to wear this fantastic cape and wield 429 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: a scepter. I've never realized how much I want to 430 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 1: wield a scepter until doing these episodes. USA Today listed 431 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 1: it as one of the top ten food festivals in 432 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: the US, So if you. 433 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 2: Ever have a chance to check it out, do so? 434 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 2: Do so absolutely. 435 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: A couple of years into the sixties, AJ Judas Junior, 436 00:25:23,320 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 1: aka the Crazy Frenchman, imported bags of crawfish from Brobridge 437 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: to his family Port Arthur's store Judases French Market. After 438 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:34,919 Speaker 1: he opened his second store in nineteen seventy eight, he 439 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: served them there too. And the main reason I wanted 440 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,120 Speaker 1: to touch on this is because in nineteen sixty three, 441 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: Judas introduced Texas to the sport of crawfish racing. I'll 442 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 1: say it again, crawfish racing. Crawfish racing, crawfish racing. A 443 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: Texas governor, no joke, appointed Judas a Texas Crawfish Racing Commissioner. 444 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:04,359 Speaker 1: His reasoning to quote ensure that no one scrupulous characters 445 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:07,560 Speaker 1: got into the crawfish racing industry in the great state 446 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:12,040 Speaker 1: of Texas. I apologize to everyone from Texas. I'm really 447 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:16,280 Speaker 1: bad at Southern accents and I can't differentiate. 448 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 2: I gave it a swing and I miss, Oh, It's 449 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:23,960 Speaker 2: it's okay. I think I think, you know, like the 450 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 2: feeling was there, yeah, yeah, the passion. 451 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:33,160 Speaker 1: Thank you, Lauren, You're welcome. Thank you. Louisiana's elected their 452 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:37,679 Speaker 1: first Cajun governor, Edwin Edwards, in nineteen seventy two, and 453 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: his campaign slogan was Cajun Power, and the image it 454 00:26:41,560 --> 00:26:44,479 Speaker 1: commonly came with was of a clenched fist, reminiscent of 455 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,719 Speaker 1: the Black Power fist, but in the fist was a crawfish. 456 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,840 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. About a decade later, in nineteen eighty three, 457 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: Louisiana became the first state to have a state crustacean, 458 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: the crawfish. 459 00:26:56,680 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 2: Five other states in this our glorious Union of official 460 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 2: crustaceans crabs in Maryland and Oregon, shrimp and Alabama and Texas, 461 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 2: and lobsters in Maine. I went on a serious rabbit 462 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 2: hole about this. I love this stuff. 463 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 1: It's pretty excellent and ridiculous. With even more technological innovations 464 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: in the nineteen eighties that allowed the safe shipping of 465 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 1: live crawfish around the country, popularity of them drove up 466 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: even more. Paul Prudom, who we've mentioned a couple of times, 467 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: he helped introduce this ingredient to a wider audience, and 468 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: in March twenty seventeen, Louisiana Lieutenant governor Pardoned Amilie the 469 00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: crawfish saving her from boiling at the inaugural Crawfish Pardoning, 470 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: brought to you by Zaurans. Okay, so they're going to 471 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 1: pardon a crawfish now allah the Turkey once a year. Yeah, 472 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,719 Speaker 1: that's it's lovely, live free Emily, I said, Omile. But 473 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: I believe it's Emily. 474 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 2: Emil who knows, I don't French. I apologize. We have 475 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 2: some more crawfish science for you, but first we've got 476 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 2: one more quick break for a word from our sponsor, 477 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 2: and we're back, Thank you sponsor. So okay, the science 478 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 2: section on this one is about mutants and genetics, gonna 479 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 2: ry and fear bald crawfish fear. 480 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, here's some headlines for you. From the BBC New 481 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: crayfish that doesn't need males to mate becomes all powerful. 482 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: From the AJAC who needs a man, All female mutant 483 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 1: crayfish taking over the world scientists say. From Science Magazine 484 00:28:56,880 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 1: an aquarium accident may have given this crayfish the DNA 485 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,280 Speaker 1: take over the world. And from the Guardian shell shock 486 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: Why crayfish replicants aren't taking over? Oh my goodness. Yeah, 487 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: we need to batten down the hatches. Apparently we need 488 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: to take some crawfish slash crayfish protection. We need to 489 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: figure some things out, Lauren escape plan we do. 490 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:25,120 Speaker 2: Maybe this is maybe this is what clone Annie is 491 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 2: working on. 492 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, she's probably behind this somehow. 493 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 2: Okay, what is actually going on here? 494 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 1: Okay, Well, this whole thing got started at a German 495 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:41,680 Speaker 1: pet shop in the nineteen nineties. And I would just 496 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: like to say that that sounds exactly like how a 497 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 1: whole lot of harmities start and or comic books. Ooh, okay, yeah, 498 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: this is like a superhero origin story. It is or 499 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:55,959 Speaker 1: the beginning of the end of the world. I'm not 500 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: comforting anyone, Nope. All right, So one of the female crayfish, 501 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: and I'm probably gonna start saying crayfish because that it's 502 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: the more popular term. That is what almost all of 503 00:30:03,840 --> 00:30:07,400 Speaker 1: these articles used. Okay, one of the female crayfish in 504 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: the aquarium, an ancestor of the sloth crayfish found in 505 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: Florida and Georgia mutate it gaining an extra pair of chromosomes, 506 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 1: which may or may not be the actual cause of 507 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: their new found ability to reproduce asexually. 508 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, because they can reproduce asexually. 509 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: Now, yep, they can. This mutation allows them to reproduce 510 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: without males, hundreds of eggs at once. All clones and 511 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:33,320 Speaker 1: all those offspring had the same mutation. Wow, and three 512 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: months one will multiply into two hundred or three hundred. Wow. 513 00:30:37,360 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: This species is known as the marbled crayfish. And again 514 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 1: it's like parasite. Parasite eve comes up again. Who knew? 515 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 1: For a while they were really popular in the pet business, 516 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 1: particularly in Germany, sometimes known there as the Texas crayfish, 517 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: but more commonly as of two thousand and three, marmal crebs. 518 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 1: But they would pretty rapidly overfill your aquarium, as you 519 00:31:00,960 --> 00:31:03,560 Speaker 1: might guess, So people were releasing them into the wild. 520 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,200 Speaker 1: Oh no, yeah, were they spread? Don't do that, I 521 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: mean right, but then what do you do? Oh goodness, 522 00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: I have a crawfish boil like every week. Oh my goodness. Yeah. 523 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: So they were released into the wild and they spread 524 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 1: and spread, and they threaten other wild species of crawfish. 525 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: In North America, you can buy marbled crayfish. This is 526 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 1: so strange, switching back and forth, apart from in two 527 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: states that have banned the sale of them. But you're 528 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: warned against keeping them as pets, and you can't sell 529 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 1: them at all in the European Union. They are a 530 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: particular problem with Madagascar since they first arrived in two 531 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: thousand and seven. There are now millions of them and 532 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: seven native species are threatened for added sci fiedness. The 533 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: ones found in the US are blue, like. 534 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 2: Bright blue, bright like blueberry blue. 535 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, which it seems has to do with how much 536 00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: they social, which is excellent because they're blue because they 537 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: have no friends, see. And another pretty great thing is 538 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 1: that they're often compared to Star Treks tribles. 539 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, they're like spiny clawed tribles. 540 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, if you're not familiar with Star Trek, can you 541 00:32:22,840 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: explain what triples are? 542 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 2: Oh, triples are these little, these little fuzzy puffballs about 543 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 2: maybe like the size of a softball, a little bit 544 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 2: oblonger than that, I suppose. And yeah, there's a whole 545 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 2: trouble with tribles that happens in the original Star Trek 546 00:32:35,360 --> 00:32:38,440 Speaker 2: and is then revisited on the show Deep Space nine, 547 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:43,960 Speaker 2: where it's it's nothing but confusing kling on makeup and 548 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 2: mini skirts and tribles everywhere. Because they also they reproduce 549 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 2: I don't know very quickly, very quickly. 550 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:53,560 Speaker 1: It's never very much. 551 00:32:53,560 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 2: I don't think it's ever made really explicitly clear if 552 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:59,880 Speaker 2: it's like a butting process, sure, like like Gremlin. 553 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: Yes, I did see a lot of Gremlin's references. Yeah, yeah, 554 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:05,920 Speaker 1: trials and tribulations. 555 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 2: Trials, right, that's the name of the Deep Space nine episode. 556 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: Right, anyway, back on track, Some scientists think the marbled 557 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: crayfish could provide some insight into the development and growth 558 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,760 Speaker 1: of tumors. Oh, the DNA has been sequenced in everything, 559 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:24,640 Speaker 1: which is a first for crayfish and any of its 560 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:28,880 Speaker 1: close relatives. The process took years and was not easy. 561 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 1: Another mystery of the natural world that scientists are hoping 562 00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 1: the marbled crayfish will help solve the reason why so 563 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: many animals have sex. Huh A sexual female cloning species 564 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 1: only make up about one in ten thousand species, and 565 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: then residing theory for that is that they don't last 566 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:50,400 Speaker 1: that long. That maybe having sex gives you exposes you 567 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: to more germs. 568 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 2: Word well, and yeah, the different differentiation in in DNA 569 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:57,440 Speaker 2: can yeah help give you you know, can help you 570 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 2: evolve and give you chances at getting a good evolution. 571 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 2: Rights or a good mutation rather sorry. 572 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and since this is a newish species, scientists are 573 00:34:06,600 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: watching pretty closely to see what's gonna happen. Ugh. Yeah. 574 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:15,920 Speaker 1: I also read that the mutation perhaps didn't happen in 575 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:18,959 Speaker 1: Germany at all, but in the US in nineteen ninety five, 576 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: and from there, the owner of this mutated crayfish gave 577 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 1: all the offspring two pet stores, some of which passed 578 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,919 Speaker 1: them along to Europe, and then maybe the Germany story 579 00:34:27,960 --> 00:34:30,640 Speaker 1: picks up. Huh. They definitely were popular in Germany and 580 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:34,920 Speaker 1: there's definitely a lot of references to an aquarium in Germany. 581 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:37,719 Speaker 2: This genuinely sounds like a Michael Crichton novel. Like I 582 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 2: know that we were making jokes about Jurassic Park earlier, 583 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,919 Speaker 2: but like like life, life finds a way, and yeah, 584 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,959 Speaker 2: like the frogs becoming yeah asexual and the huh yeah, all. 585 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 1: The dinosaurs are female? Are female? Yeah, but they found 586 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: out but they did. Oh and also unrelated probably probably 587 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,040 Speaker 1: does anyone else remember that story from about it a 588 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,479 Speaker 1: year ago of an army of crawdads. Now I'm saying 589 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: craw dads roaming the streets of New Mexico, even though 590 00:35:07,040 --> 00:35:08,880 Speaker 1: there was no source of water nearby. 591 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 2: Does anyone remember that I had no idea what you 592 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:13,479 Speaker 2: were talking about, but you wrote it in the notes 593 00:35:13,480 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 2: and I went and looked it up and that I mean, yeah, 594 00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 2: the news stories about it are like are like, well, 595 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:21,880 Speaker 2: I was hanging out in my driveway and then I 596 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 2: noticed that a whole bunch of crawfish were strolling down 597 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:29,040 Speaker 2: the street, and so I started putting them in buckets 598 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,200 Speaker 2: and putting them in the local like drainage ditch so 599 00:35:32,239 --> 00:35:33,480 Speaker 2: that they wouldn't dry out. 600 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: That's it. 601 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:36,399 Speaker 2: I mean, it was just like, like, no one knows 602 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 2: why all these crawfish were just like down the road, 603 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 2: but they were. 604 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,960 Speaker 1: Perhaps we should be taking them a little more seriously, 605 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:52,440 Speaker 1: That's all I can say. Oh, man, well that is 606 00:35:53,360 --> 00:35:57,280 Speaker 1: our crawfish episode. And it was so fun to research. 607 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it also made me really excited to do 608 00:36:01,719 --> 00:36:06,959 Speaker 2: a lobster episode, because lobsters are similar but different enough 609 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 2: that they're super fascinating. And yeah, I guess if crawfish 610 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,520 Speaker 2: is a kind of regionalized term, how many people were like, oh, 611 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 2: it's crayfish the whole time. 612 00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:18,000 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, sorry about it, folks. 613 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I wasn't really like I said, it wasn't really 614 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,800 Speaker 2: introduced to them until I came to Atlanta, and so therefore, 615 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:27,160 Speaker 2: even though I'm from South Florida and the North, I 616 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:30,520 Speaker 2: picked up the word crawfish because that's what everyone. 617 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:31,520 Speaker 1: Here calls them. 618 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:35,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, at least I haven't like southernized enough to the 619 00:36:35,640 --> 00:36:36,280 Speaker 2: point that I'm. 620 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:39,200 Speaker 1: Like crawl daddies. Yet not yet. 621 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:40,200 Speaker 2: There's always time. 622 00:36:40,239 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 1: There's always time, and that, as you learn, once you 623 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:46,160 Speaker 1: say crawdaddies, that's when you have the method of eating 624 00:36:46,160 --> 00:36:48,440 Speaker 1: them down. That's the natural progression. 625 00:36:48,880 --> 00:36:50,280 Speaker 2: It's the evolution of language. 626 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, perfect. Oh. We look forward to that day. 627 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 1: We do. And that brings us to the end of 628 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: this class episode. We hope that you enjoyed it as 629 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:06,120 Speaker 1: much as we loved revisiting it. As always, whatever you're celebrating, 630 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:09,919 Speaker 1: we hope that you're safe, happy, and we love hearing 631 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 1: from you about the foods that you eat. I remember 632 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:17,240 Speaker 1: that you cook and eat because I remember specifically people 633 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: have sent in their menus and I love how all 634 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 1: across the board they are oh yeah, oh absolutely, my 635 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:28,319 Speaker 1: mom she's fine, but she had COVID and so we're 636 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 1: doing a much like lower key okay thing. This year, 637 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 1: and we're making some seafood based situations that I'm very 638 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:40,400 Speaker 1: excited about. But yeah, I do love hearing, especially like 639 00:37:40,400 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: stuff like friends giving where it's just like everyone shows up. 640 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,279 Speaker 2: With something something and you're kind of like and you're 641 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 2: kind of like you eat this, like this is your tradition, 642 00:37:49,320 --> 00:37:50,560 Speaker 2: Like what is that like? 643 00:37:51,080 --> 00:37:55,640 Speaker 1: So wonderful? Yeah, I love it and I can see 644 00:37:55,719 --> 00:38:00,360 Speaker 1: Crayfish being involved in something like that, So please let 645 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:03,000 Speaker 1: us know. We do love hearing about that and about 646 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 1: how all of you are doing. If you would like 647 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: to send us something you can. 648 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,239 Speaker 2: You can email us at hello at saverpod dot com, 649 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,480 Speaker 2: and we're also on social media. You can find us 650 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:15,360 Speaker 2: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at saver pod and we 651 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:18,359 Speaker 2: do hope to hear from you. Save is production of iHeartRadio. 652 00:38:18,520 --> 00:38:20,719 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you can visit 653 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 654 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 2: your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our superproducers Dylan 655 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,480 Speaker 2: Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and 656 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:39,040 Speaker 2: we hope that lots more good things are coming your way.