Editing Crayfish (section)

=== Culinary use ===
{{Cookbook|Crawfish}}{{main|Crayfish as food}}

Crayfish are eaten worldwide. Like other edible crustaceans, only a small portion of the body of a crayfish is eaten. In most prepared dishes, such as soups, [[Bisque (food)|bisques]] and [[étouffée]]s, only the tail portion is served. At [[seafood boil|crawfish boils]] or other meals where the entire body of the crayfish is presented, other portions, such as the claw meat, may be eaten.{{Cn|date=February 2021}}

Research shows that crayfish do not die immediately when boiled alive, and respond to pain in a similar way to mammals. Then the stress hormone cortisol is released and this leads to the formation of lactic acid in the muscles, which makes the meat taste sour. Crayfish can be cooked more humanely by first freezing them unconscious for a few hours, then destroying the central nervous system along their abdomen by cutting the crayfish lengthwise with a long knife down the center of the crayfish before cooking it.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alström |first=Vivvi |date=2023-08-12 |title=Forskning visar: Kräftor känner smärta när de kokas levande |language=sv |work=SVT Nyheter |url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/visst-gor-det-ont-nar-kraftor-kokas |access-date=2023-08-12}}</ref>

Global crayfish production is centered in Asia, primarily China. In 2018, Asian production accounted for 95% of the world's crawfish supply.<ref>{{cite web |title = Global Aquaculture Production: Procambarus clarkii, 1990-2018 |url = http://www.fao.org/figis/servlet/SQServlet?file=/usr/local/tomcat/8.5.16/figis/webapps/figis/temp/hqp_7058869486391224748.xml&outtype=html |website = FAO Fisheries Division |publisher = Food And Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |access-date = 21 March 2021 }}</ref>

Crayfish is part of [[Swedish cuisine]] and is usually eaten in August at special [[Crayfish party|crayfish parties]] ({{langx|sv|Kräftskiva}}). Documentation of the consumption of crayfish dates to at least the 16th century. On the Swedish west coast, [[Nephrops norvegicus]] ({{lang|sv|Havskräfta}}, {{lit|sea crayfish}}) is more commonly eaten while various freshwater crayfish are consumed in the rest of the country. Prior to the 1960s, crayfish was largely inaccessible to the urban population in Sweden and consumption was largely limited to the upper classes or farmers holding fishing rights in fresh water lakes. With the introduction of import of frozen crayfish the crayfish party is now widely practiced across all spheres in Sweden and among the [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland]].<ref>Po Tidhom (2004). "The Crayfish Party". The Swedish Institute. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2006.</ref>

In the United States, crayfish production is strongly centered in [[Louisiana]], with 93% of crayfish farms located in the state as of 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title = Table 18. Crustacean Sales by Species: 2018 and 2013 |url = https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/Aquaculture/aqua_1_0018_0018.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191219201907/https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/Aquaculture/aqua_1_0018_0018.pdf |archive-date = 19 December 2019 |url-status = live |website = 2018 Census of Agriculture |publisher = USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service |access-date = 21 March 2021 }}</ref> In 1987, Louisiana produced 90% of the crayfish harvested in the world, 70% of which were consumed locally.<ref>{{cite journal |year = 1990 |journal = SRAC Publication |issue = 242 |title = Crawfish production: harvesting, marketing and economics |author = Larry W. de la Bretonne Jr. |author2 = Robert P. Romaire |name-list-style = amp |url = http://www.aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/efs/srac/242fs.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101212111732/http://aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/efs/srac/242fs.pdf |archive-date = 12 December 2010 }}</ref> In 2007, the Louisiana crayfish harvest was about 54,800 tons, almost all of it from [[aquaculture]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://text.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/4687F896-C5C5-47D6-A4F4-1F4455760816/46429/CrawfishHarvestStatistics7807.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120402060519/http://text.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/4687F896-C5C5-47D6-A4F4-1F4455760816/46429/CrawfishHarvestStatistics7807.pdf |archive-date = 2 April 2012 |year = 2009 |publisher = Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana |title = 1978–2007: Louisiana Summary of Agriculture and Natural Resources }}</ref> About 70–80% of crayfish produced in Louisiana are ''[[Procambarus clarkii]]'' (red swamp crawfish), with the remaining 20–30% being ''[[Procambarus zonangulus]]'' (white river crawfish).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/our_offices/research_stations/Aquaculture/Features/extension/Classroom_Resources/The+Difference+Between+Red+Swamp+Crawfish+and+White+River+Crawfish.htm |title = Differences Between Red Swamp Crawfish and White River Crawfish |work = The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center |access-date = 25 February 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718211025/http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/our_offices/research_stations/Aquaculture/Features/extension/Classroom_Resources/The+Difference+Between+Red+Swamp+Crawfish+and+White+River+Crawfish.htm |archive-date = 18 July 2011 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Optimum dietary nutritional requirement of freshwater crayfish, or crayfish nutrient specifications are now available for aquaculture feed producers <ref>{{Cite journal |url =  |doi = 10.1038/s41598-020-76692-0 |title = Recycling biofloc waste as novel protein source for crayfish with special reference to crayfish nutritional standards and growth trajectory |year = 2020 |last1 = Lunda |first1 = Roman |last2 = Roy |first2 = Koushik |last3 = Dvorak |first3 = Petr |last4 = Kouba |first4 = Antonin |last5 = Mraz |first5 = Jan |journal = Scientific Reports |volume = 10 |issue = 1 |page = 19607 |pmid = 33177672 |pmc = 7658255 |bibcode = 2020NatSR..1019607L }}</ref>

Like all crustaceans, crayfish are not [[kosher]] because they are aquatic animals that do not have both [[fin]]s and [[scale (zoology)|scales]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://trianglek.org/kosherdefined.html |title = Kosher defined |access-date = 1 December 2010 |publisher = [[Triangle K]] }}</ref> They are therefore not eaten by observant [[Jew]]s, and some Christian denominations.<ref name="Meyer-Rochow 2009">{{cite journal |last = Meyer-Rochow |first = Victor Benno |title = Food taboos: their origins and purposes |journal = Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |date = 2009 |volume = 5–18 |pages = 18 |doi = 10.1186/1746-4269-5-18 |pmid = 19563636 |pmc = 2711054 |doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kashrut |url=https://www.ourrabbis.org/main/halakhah-mainmenu-26/kashrut-mainmenu-34 |access-date=2025-02-08 |website=www.ourrabbis.org}}</ref>