When someone wants to brag about the crawfish they had last night, one thing you might hear is, "Man, those crawfish we had last night were HUGE!".

But when it comes to crawfish, is bigger always better?

One would think that going on semantics alone, that bigger would mean better.

Let's face it: corporate America (and the whole state of Texas) want us to believe that bigger IS better. One product bragging that it has "15% more real vegetables than the leading brand"; another saying "with 10% more legroom than the competition". It seems that we are bombarded with "BIGGER = BETTER" messages daily.

So, let's get back to crawfish and take a look at the pros and cons of "Jumbo" crawfish.

 

PROS OF JUMBO CRAWFISH:

  • The claws are larger, and therefore usually provide more eat (yes, I do like to eat the claws.
  • Bragging rights (T'Boy, lass naut, I had me one of dem crawfish dat was dis big! ::Holds out hands like he's telling a fish tale::)
  • Uhhhh... they are easier to spot if they start to crawl away while you're washing them?

I have to be missing some "pros" of the extra-large crawfish, right? Is this it?

CONS OF JUMBO CRAWFISH:

  • They are usually harder to peel.
  • The heads aren't as easy to suck.
  • It appears that they don't have more much meat than Medium/Large crawfish.

Wait; WHAT??  Medium/Large crawfish have about the same amount of tail meat as the Jumbo crawfish?

The answer is "just about", if you consider this post from Cornelius Crawfish.

Cornelius Crawfish is a boiling outfit based in Bay City, Texas (where everything is bigger, right?). They took to Facebook to put an end to the rumor that the really big crawfish have a lot more meat than the Medium/Large crawfish.

Judging by these pictures alone, it appears that the tails are about the same size. The larger crawfish has tail meat that looks to be just a bit larger than the smaller one's tail meat.

But look at the size comparison when it comes to the head and the claws.

What the argument here is going to be is this: is it worth it to pay more for the "Extra Large" or "Jumbo" crawfish when you are purchasing per pound? I would assume that the extra shell on the larger crawfish adds enough weight to offset any benefit you'd get from the "larger" tail meat.

It looks like the Extra Large crawfish has a lot more claw and head than the smaller crawfish, percentage-wise, than tail meat (when compared the same way).

One Facebook user claims to have done his own experiment: he claims that the medium-sized crawfish are your best value.

Joel Barrios via Facebook
Joel Barrios via Facebook
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Aside from the value, some like the smaller crawfish for the taste and the ease by which one can suck the heads.

Avery Coney via Facebook
Avery Coney via Facebook
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Nancy agrees with me: the bigger they are, the harder (usually) they are to peel.

Nancy King Jones via Facebook
Nancy King Jones via Facebook
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"Give me med to large every time," she says, and I would have to agree.

What are your thoughts?

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