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Facts About A Crawfish Party
1) A crayfish party is a traditional summertime eating and drinking celebration in the Nordic countries. The tradition originated in Sweden, where a crayfish party is called a kräftskiva. The tradition has also spread to Finland via the Swedish-speaking population of that country.
2) Crayfish parties are generally held during August, a tradition that started because crayfish harvesting in Sweden was, for most of the 20th century, legally limited to late summer. Today, the “kräftpremiär” date in early August has no legal significance. Dining is traditionally outdoors, but in practice the party is often driven indoors by bad weather or aggressive mosquitoes.
3) Customary party accessories are comical paper hats, paper tablecloths, paper lanterns (often depicting the Man in the Moon), and bibs. A rowdy atmosphere prevails amid noisy eating and traditional drinking songs (snapsvisa). The alcohol consumption is often high, especially when compared to the amount of food actually eaten (crayfish shelling is tedious work).
4) It is culturally correct to suck the juice out of the crayfish before shelling it.
On the Swedish west coast it is common to replace the fresh water crayfish with havskräfta (English: Norway lobster).
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Food
Crayfish are eaten all over the world. Like other edible crustaceans,
only a small portion of the body of a crayfish is edible. In most
prepared dishes, such as soups, bisques and étouffées, only the
tail portion is served. At crawfish boils or other meals where the
entire body of the crayfish is presented, other portions, such as
the claw meat, may be eaten.
Claws of larger boiled specimens are often pulled apart to access
the meat inside. Another favourite is to suck the head of the cray-
fish, as seasoning and flavour can collect in the fat of the boiled
interior.
A common myth is that a crawfish with a straight tail died before it was boiled and is not safe to eat. In reality, crawfish that died before boiling can have curled tails as well as straight, as can those that were alive, and may very well be fine to eat. Boiled crawfish which died before boiling are safe to eat if they were kept chilled before boiling and were not dead for a long time. (This does not mean that a sack of crawfish that are all dead should be boiled.) A much better test than the straight tail as to the edibility of any crawfish is the tail meat itself; if it is mushy, it is usually an indication that it should be avoided.
Like all crustaceans, crayfish are not kosher because they are aquatic animals that do not have both fins and scales. They are therefore not eaten by observant Jews.
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Cuisine: Food & Drink
Akvavit and other kinds of snaps are served, as well as beer. The crayfish are boiled in salt water and seasoned with fresh dill — preferably “crown dill” harvested after the plant has flowered — then served cold and eaten with one’s fingers. Bread, mushroom pies, strong Västerbotten cheese, salads, and other dishes are served buffet-style.
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What is a crawfish? Some kinds of crayfish are known locally as lobsters, crawdads, mudbugs, & yabbies. In the Eastern United States, "crayfish" is more common in the north, while "crawdad" is heard more in central & southwestern regions, & "crawfish" further south, although there are considerable overlaps. - members of the superfamilies Astacoidea & Parastacoidea - are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related. They breathe through feather-like gills & are found in bodies of water that do not freeze to the bottom; they are also mostly found in brooks & streams where there is fresh water running, & which have shelter against predators. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species such as the invasive Procambarus clarkii are more hardy. Crayfish feed on living & dead animals & plants.
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You may also want to research:
Akvavit / Brännvin / Smörgåsbord / Snaps / Snapsvisa / Seafood boil
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External links & Resources:
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