There was a time when crawfish wasn’t a trending hashtag or the star of viral TikTok videos. Back then, in the heart of Louisiana, it was simply what brought families together on warm weekend afternoons. I remember when a pound of live crawfish cost just a quarter per pound, pocket change that could fill a pot big enough to feed the whole family.
Growing up in Louisiana meant understanding that crawfish wasn’t just food, it was culture. It was Uncle Steve’s secret spice blend that he swore made his boil the best in the parish. It was my cousins and I learning the proper way to “pinch the tail and suck the head” before we could even tie our shoes. It was newspaper-covered tables and conversations that lasted long after the last tail was peeled.
But something changed over the years. It started slowly at first – out-of-state visitors would come down, experience their first crawfish boil, and fall in love with our tradition. Who could blame them? There’s nothing quite like the communal experience of gathering around a steaming pile of bright red mudbugs, sharing stories and laughs while your fingers burn from the spices.
These newfound crawfish converts would return home craving more, leading to a surge in shipping demands. Our local fishermen began sending their catches across state lines, where people were willing to pay premium prices for a taste of Louisiana culture. Supply and demand took its toll, and prices began to climb.
Then came social media. Suddenly, crawfish boils weren’t just local gatherings, they were content. Instagram-worthy spreads of perfectly styled crawfish boils garnered millions of likes. TikTok creators turned the art of cooking crawfish into viral sensations. Food influencers flocked to Louisiana, showcasing our tradition to their global audiences.
The result? What was once a humble fisherman’s catch became a luxury item. Today’s prices have soared so high that many local families, including my own, can no longer afford to maintain the tradition that defined our weekends. The quarter-per-pound days feel like a distant dream, replaced by market rates that cater to social media tourism and out-of-state shipping.
There’s a bittersweet irony in watching something so deeply personal to our culture gain worldwide appreciation. While it’s wonderful to see others discover the joy of crawfish, it’s heartbreaking that this appreciation has priced out many of the very families who kept this tradition alive for generations.
I’m not arguing against sharing our culture – Louisiana hospitality means always having room for one more at the table. But as I watch crawfish prices climb with each new viral video, I can’t help but miss those simpler times when crawfish wasn’t a trend, but just a way of life.
Perhaps this is the natural evolution of beloved local traditions in our interconnected world. But for those of us who remember the quarter-per-pound days, we’re left wondering if the price of popularity was worth losing the very tradition we held so dear.
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