New Orleans is full of stories – ghost stories, local legends, urban legends, and myths. Many of these stories/myths are fun to repeat but have no actual basis in truth. Even New Orleans natives may have a hard time believing some of the legends aren’t true.
Be New Orleans is going to bust one myth at a time!
MYTH: Don’t eat the straight ones.
Growing up in the south, your mama and dem would always teach you to not eat the straight ones. For the folks not from here – I am referring to crawfish. When you’re digging through your pile of mudbugs and come across one with a straight tail, it is customary to throw it to the side and not eat it. We’ve all been told that means it was dead before it was boiled and it will get you sick.
Apparently, that is just an old mee maw tale, because the LSU AgCenter says that you can eat the straight ones & you won’t get sick! (allegedly…)
Now, I’m not a person who is willing to risk their lives in this sort of way. When one of you brave souls tries it out – let me know how you feel later.
I think a good rule of thumb is – if the meat is mushy – DON’T EAT IT.