提起小龍蝦，我們立刻會想起盱眙的小龍蝦節，還有北京簋街晚上那壹盤盤紅光泛油的麻小。但是妳知道嗎？美國人也吃小龍蝦的，也是做成辣味呢！美國小龍蝦的故鄉就是南部的路易斯安那州。
早在歐洲人來到路州之前，美國土著就已經學會吃小龍蝦了。路州的沼澤湖泊很多，為小龍蝦的生長提供了天然優越的條件。而歐洲人的到來，將自己的文化和烹調特色留在了這裏。特別是阿卡地亞法國移民後裔帶來的以辛辣為主的卡真式食品，風靡全美。這小龍蝦就是卡真食物的代表。
吃小龍蝦是講究季節的，初春到夏末是最好時候。初春之時，路州首府新奧爾良市還有狂歡節。人們穿著奇裝異服走在大街上，好不熱鬧。遊行的人們向沿途圍觀的人拋彩色珠鏈。那是這個遊行的特色之壹呢！入夜，在著名的波旁街，酒館傳出節奏感強烈的爵士樂，人們坐在露天的飯桌旁，壹邊吃著面前堆積如山的小龍蝦，壹邊喝著冰鎮啤酒，那生活真是賽過神仙。
美國人吃小龍蝦的方式只有壹種，就是水煮。通常找壹口直桶大鋁鍋，裏面放上水，再放壹包小龍蝦調料。調料裏有鹽、辣椒、胡椒、芹菜粉、香葉、俄勒岡、姜粉、芥末籽等，非常之辣，據說曾有很會吃辣的湖南人吃過都直呼受不了。小龍蝦倒進鍋裏後，用根長長的木棍邊煮邊攪和，壹方面是為了讓調料充分溶解，另壹方面也是為了找出死掉的小龍蝦。據說，如果小龍蝦是彎的，說明還活著，死的身體就變直了。因為小龍蝦是吃腐殖質長大的，如果死去太久，會產生組胺等有毒物質，不可以吃。如果剛死沒多久還是可以吃的。除了這些，鍋裏還要放幾瓣蒜，還要放壹些其他食物，如蘑菇、洋蔥、玉米、檸檬、紅土豆等，都放在壹個小網兜裏，壹起放到鍋裏煮。
等煮熟了，控幹凈水，在桌上鋪上報紙，往上壹倒，嘩地壹下，桌上就起了座小山，壹群人圍在桌邊大吃大喝起來。美國人吃小龍蝦就是這般，把頭揪下來，把中間的蝦肉向外壹抽，直接放嘴裏吃了，連泥腸也不去掉，真是生猛！吃小龍蝦，配的主食是玉米松糕，甜香的玉米粉，烘得金黃松軟，送到嘴裏軟糯可口，與香辣的小龍蝦真是絕配。
小龍蝦季節過後，雖然沒有活的小龍蝦吃了，但是冷凍的蝦肉壹年四季都有賣的。蝦肉可以做成湯，小龍蝦澆飯，小龍蝦炒飯等，還有路州獨具特色的小龍蝦漢堡，雖然看起來和普通漢堡無異，但是炸得酥脆的肉餅裏夾的是小龍蝦肉，味道還是壹如既往地辣，充分體現卡真食物特色。
過去小龍蝦都是野生的。小龍蝦極易繁殖，成長也很快，但是還是禁不住這麽多人要吃，早在上世紀60年代，路州就有小龍蝦養殖場了。如今大多數市面上賣的小龍蝦都是養殖的，野生的已經不多見了。偶爾還能在小溪中見到壹些野生的。小龍蝦的智商很低，很容易就被抓到。我曾經見過壹個墨西哥人在溪水邊釣小龍蝦。他只是用壹根樹枝，在末端綁了塊雞肉，伸到水中，不壹會兒，就有小龍蝦上鉤，他提起樹枝，抓住小龍蝦丟進旁邊的塑料桶中。就這樣，不到壹小時，他竟釣了十幾只，看得我真是眼饞啊！
雖然小龍蝦的養殖已經擴展到得克薩斯、密西西比、北卡羅來納等州，但是路州仍是小龍蝦的主要產區，占了總產量的90%。其他州的民眾，如果想吃到活的小龍蝦，可以從網上訂購。壹般小龍蝦公司都有這項業務。只要把日期給他們，他們保證當日空運到。美國的機場也有冷藏庫，可以存放郵寄的活海鮮。我以前的壹個老板的太太是路州人，搬到加州之後仍是懷念家鄉的美味，於是每年小龍蝦季節，都會訂購100磅活蝦，請公司的人來家裏吃。他們甚至在半年前就下好訂單，100磅小龍蝦被放在壹個大的泡沫塑料盒子裏，據說還有讓海鮮暫停新陳代謝的休眠劑。我老板接到通知，就在當天清晨從機場取回小龍蝦，中午大家就能吃上了。
路州在1983年將小龍蝦作為州的代表動物，並且每年都舉辦小龍蝦節，說小龍蝦是路州的特色食物，真是名副其實啊！
Directions (beer drinking optional)
Before you cook them. Rinse them. We recommend that you rinse your crawfish with plain water before cooking. Rinse them until draining water is clear.
Fill the large pot half full with fresh water, place on outdoor propane cooker, and start the fire. Place the lid on the pot and bring water to a boil.
While you wait for water to boil, rinse the crawfish with fresh cool water until draining water is clear. You do not need to “purge” them with salt. Rinsing will do just fine.
Drink another beer. Give one to a friend.
Add about 1 lb of Fruge's Original Seafood Boil to water. Let the boiling water mix it well for a minute or so.
Time to drink another beer. Send sober friend to store for more beer.
Drop in all 8 onions (halved), the potatoes and fresh garlic. Let this cook, keeping an eye on the potatoes. (Check for doneness by stabbing with a sharp knife or fork. If it goes in easy, it is cooked. Hint: Do not overcook potatoes, slightly undercook them because they will continue to steam and cook in the ice chest. You don't want to end up with mashed potatoes.)
When the potatoes are almost done, add the corn and mushrooms. After they have cooked, lower the fire on the burner and remove the basket. Place the vegetables in a small clean ice chest . Time to drink another beer.
Turn the heat up on the burner. Add more spice to the water. (About 25 oz. Save about 1 lb of spice for later.) Take the lemons (halved) and squeeze the juice in the water. Then add the lemons to the water. When the water comes to a boil, place the crawfish into the basket and put the basket in the pot. (Be careful - it's very hot!) Put the lid on the pot and enjoy another beer.
When the water comes back to a rolling boil - keep a very close eye on this part (time it) - let it boil for 2 minutes and turn off the fire. Let the crawfish soak for a few minutes and then remove. Hint: Kill the boil by adding cold water or a bag of ice. Then let the crawfish soak. Most of the crawfish will sink to the bottom and fill with spicy water (JUICES).
Remove the Crawfish from the pot and pour into an ice chest while your friend sprinkles the remaining seasoning. Mix this well and let steam for 5 minutes. Use more or less spice to your taste.
You can dump everything on newspaper on a table or serve it out of the ice chest. Food stays hot in the chest… your choice.
Now it's time to really drink beer and eat. The vegetables are for those guests who cannot figure out how to peel the crawfish. At least they won't starve.