But now, thanks to this worldwide survey of English dialects and an analysis of the US data by Joshua Katz of NC State University, I realise (sorry - realize) that I haven't even scratched the surface. Having been in the States for over a decade now, I thought I'd gotten most of these variations figured out. Words which I previously had no context for being different anywhere else, such as 'runners' ('sneakers'), 'lemonade' (Sprite - is there even a generic name for this?) and 'rubber' (eraser), were met with blank stares, confusion or even guffaws. Or so I thought: when I moved overseas to the UK, and especially when I moved to the States, I soon learned these are distinct cultures separated by a common language. You can make hundreds of mouth-watering dishes with this polyonymous crustacean.I grew up in Australia, where I learned to speak English. If you like variety, you will like crawfish. “This is a very odd conversation, Thursday.” “All right, it’s as fishy as a crayfish.” “How fishy on the fishiness scale? Ten is a stickleback and one is a whale shark.” Here is a funny quote from Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fford: For instance, there are crawfish jokes! What do you call a lazy crawfish? A slobster! They provide a nice opportunity for humor in literature too. They appear in more than just cookbooks, too. They feature in soups, butters, pastas, and salads, among other dishes. Crawfish aren’t indigenous to Singapore, but the people who acquire them as pets refer to them as freshwater lobsters.Ĭrawfish are quite versatile. In Australia, a crawfish is a yabby or a koura. English-speaking nations outside of North America have even more words for this creature. In the Mississippi Delta, they call them mud bugs. People from the West Coast or Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas often use the term crawdad.

Louisianans most often say crawfish, whereas Northerners are more likely to say crayfish. Which term you use may depend much on where you live. Crawfish, crayfish, and crawdads are the same animal. In French, the modern word for “a crawfish” is “une écrevisse.” “Crawfish” and “crevice” derive from an earlier French version of that word. Which country has a red, white, and blue flag? There is more than one answer, but France is one example. Hence, the recipes!Ĭrawfish are a colorful lot there are red, white, and blue varieties. Predators such as raccoons, snakes, and muskrats find crawfish to be a tasty treat, as do many people. They will eat live or dead things, such as leaves, insects, or fish eggs. More than 500 species of this crustacean live in North America. Crawfish aren’t lobsters, but they are a related species and they look a lot like their larger cousins. Imagine a tiny lobster hiding beneath a rock in a freshwater stream. What’s the difference between a crawfish, a crayfish, and a crawdad? Let’s focus on one tasty element that has puzzled many aspiring chefs-the crawfish. However, it’s difficult to prepare if you are not familiar with the ingredients. In particular, cajun cuisine has a reputation for being exceptionally well-seasoned and delicious.

They know that they have to use the proper ingredients in the correct proportions to make the dish turn out as intended. Chefs and home cooks appreciate a tried-and-true recipe.

You can’t just throw anything into a pot and expect it to taste good.

Crayfish clawfish