小龙虾 Xiao Long Xia / crayfish / crawfish / crawdads / mudbugs
No matter what you call them, these little prehistoric crustaceans have made their annual appearance at the sidewalk restaurants of China and the DH and I could not be happier. Not everyone loves crawfish – they’re messy, hard to peel and the payoff is small. I’ve spent just under half of my life in South Texas, however, just close enough to Louisiana to appreciate the joy of crawfish season. The words “crawfish boil” and “crawfish etouffee” literally make me drool.
Here in Linyi, crawfish are found in restaurants of all caliber, but we especially like to eat them at so-called sidewalk restaurants. The crawfish are boiled in a rich tomato and chili based broth loaded with Sichuan peppercorns, an unusual spice that numbs your tongue and lips if you bite into it. After eating just a few, your mouth will be on fire. Thank goodness for the cold beer. The DH and I have a nice arrangement for eating crawfish – he gets all the heads and I get my tails plus about half of his.
Last night we ate at one of our favorite sidewalk barbecue restaurants. Most of these restaurants function year round with a large indoor dining room and a barbecue pit outside for cooking kebabs. In the spring and summer, the action moves outside. Short wooden tables fill the parking lot/sidewalk and by 6PM they are full of hungry customers, drinking cold draft beer, eating various kinds of kebabs and enjoying hot pot. Linyi has a hot and humid summer and in the early evenings the best place to be is at one of these outdoor places, enjoying the cooler evening air.
Tables waiting for customers
Hot Pot with tripe – I’ll later add mushrooms and cabbage
Every table is full as the evening progresses
The “Pit Masters” – they barbecue it all here: chicken wings, sparrow wings, lamb, beef, tendon, fish, steamed bread…
Happy Customers
This post is part of WanderFood Wednesday, a weekly blogging event featuring food from around the world. See more food posts and learn more at host Wanderlust and Lipstick’s WanderFood page.
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I love crayfish and these look so enticing! I don’t mind the messy eating at all. It’s all part of the enjoyment for me
I love the mess!
These look fantastic! I hope they’re still around when I’m in China this summer.
If I remember correctly, they should be available pretty much all summer. Where are you going to be in China?
Yum…. finger-lickin’ good, y’all!
I’m tellin’ ya!
Yummy for my tummy!
Love me some crawfish! Reminds me of the good ol’ deep South. 
I miss all the great southern foods – fried catfish, greens & black-eyed-peas, cornbread… I gotta learn how to cook!
I got all excited over the first picture and thought you were in my neck of the woods. Home sweet South Louisiana!
I wish Amanda! One of these days!
That crawfish looks delicious and the broth sounds mouthwatering. Great photo!
The broth looks very spicy, but is surprisingly sippable (just made up a word!)
Crawfish!! How delicious! So neat to see that you spent some time in Texas; I’m actually born and raised-just moved to California last year. Fantastic pictures too!
I went to junior high and part of high school in Texas and then lived there again for all of college/university. My parents still live there – in Goliad. Thanks for stopping by!