Crawfish and New Food

So being in the great state of Louisiana I finally had some Crawfish! What is Crawfish? Well, it is like a shrimp, lobster, that lives in the mud. Don't be fooled though, it is quite tasty. I had a while 3 pounds of it and I must say that it was really good. It had a tasty spice on it that made me wish I had some lime to add to it, but that is just my Mexican side coming out. Crawfish is served by the pound. You have to break off the tail and throw the rest of it away. You eat if with your fingers, pair it with a beer and you just can't ask for more. They give you large buckets that you can throw your leftovers in. It is quite a liberating experience.

So eating Crawfish made me wonder, how quick are we to judge other people's choice of foods, and specifically other ethnic foods? People become grossed out and don't even try something new because they think that if it does not come pre-packaged and with high fructose syrup, that it is somehow not edible. I am sure people in Louisiana who may Love Crawfish would be quick to say other people eat gross food, yet other people think Crawfish is disgusting. I think that it might have to do with the way we explain things. Whenever I have to tell my non-Hispanic friends about some Mexican dishes, even I stop to think and clarify. It sounds so much better in Spanish. For example pansita is so good, but what is it? Stomach. So you see, when it is translated and explained it just sounds weird. For example crawfish, for a Louisianer(I think that may be a term not sure) Crawfish is Crawfish, but once you explain exactly what it is, even they stop to ponder about it.

So my one thought is.. try something new, even if you think you may not like it. If not, you are denying yourself the opportunity to discover new things, and you may be disrespecting people who are appalled by your lack of understanding. And to my Louisiana friends I say, keep on having your Crawfish Boils and invite me over!