Crayfish as 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 crayfish, as seasoning and flavor can collect in the fat of the boiled interior.[1]
Boiling alive[edit]
In 2018, Switzerland was the first country to ban the live boiling of lobsters.[21]
Norway, Austria, New Zealand and some Australian territories also place restrictions on the inhumane treatment of lobsters. Cities in Germany and Italy also have explicitly banned the practice of boiling lobsters alive.[22]
In 2021, a study conducted by experts from the London School of Economics concluded there was "strong scientific evidence decapod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs are sentient". This will probably result in a ban on the boiling of live lobsters in UK under proposed legislation.[23]
After the publication of the report, The Netherlands banned the boiling alive of crabs and lobsters.[24]