Talk:Seafood boil

University Crawfish Boils

Many universities in Louisiana have crawfish boils during the Spring semester. With this in mind, should "Tulane University holds an annual "Crawfest" in April, and the University of New Orleans holds an annual crawfish boil for all students at the end of the spring semester (Students unwinding on Crawfish and Unprecedented Fun--SUCAUF)." Be included in this article, calling out those two particular universities? 67.128.60.2 (talk) 17:59, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

Did UNO finally expell the Beer from the title completely? I remember it was the SUCBAUF at least up until 2005. 90.217.241.155 (talk) 21:41, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

Maryland Crab Boil

As I pointed out in the "Crab Boil" discussion page– "Maryland Crab Boil" is not a term used in Maryland. I don't mind it in the context of this page because it's a way of including and making Maryland's *steamed* crab style relevant here. Marylanders pretty much exclusively steam crabs in beer, vinegar, water and Old Bay and frown on the idea of boiling crabs or shrimp. The term for the occasion which would probably be called a "Crab Boil" in the south is referred to as a "Crab Feast" in Maryland. --Psf11 (talk) 21:07, 5 August 2009 (UTC)

You'll need to back that up with sources. I've heard the term used in Maryland to describe the above recipe (I've also heard "Crab Feast", or just plain "having crabs" since some Marylanders can comprehend no other way to cook 'em). As far as "Maryland Crab Boil", perhaps it's the same thing as "French fries" or "Maryland Chicken". The article may intend merely to convey a description of Maryland's take on the seafood boil, and could then just as easily be called "Maryland style crab boil". -Verdatum (talk) 18:04, 6 August 2009 (UTC)

As I implied, I think the use of the term is okay here since it is for the purpose of including Maryland style crabs for the rest of the world, much of which is only familiar with "crab boils". It's in a appropriate context. My point is, however, that term isn't used in Maryland and I think it also appropriate to point that out here.

Back that up with sources? Hardly an easy task when referring to such local traditions. I can offer this– upon a Yahoo search, "Maryland crab feast" occurs 2,320 times. "Maryland crab boil" only 482 and of those, the ones I checked– ALL were from "outsiders" perspectives, i.e. Food Network, Wikipedia, Answers.com, a New York news report, etc. The ones listing "Maryland crab feast" all seemed to be Maryland/Baltimore sites. I am also a 44 year old native Marylander who has been all over the state and lived in several parts of it including Baltimore and Ocean City. I have worked in MD seafood restaurants and have been attending "crab feasts" since I was too young to remember (I have an engraved, personalized pewter crab mallet– can you say the same???). I actually took a "Crab-ology" class from Phillips Seafood required for their vendors. I can *honestly* say to you, I have NEVER ONCE heard a Marylander refer to a "crab boil" unless he/she was talking about one in New Orleans. I don't recall even knowing the term existed until recent years. I had only been aware of "Crawfish Boils" in the south.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. I'm sure a Marylander or two out their uses the term "Crab Boil" but it is not fair to say "Maryland Crab Boil" is what Marylanders do or how they refer to cooking crabs..--Psf11 (talk) 02:03, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Since it's hard to prove a negative (people NOT saying "Crab Boil" in MD) allow me to turn the table. I challenge you to find an instance where "Maryland Crab Boil" is referred to, or a recipe for one is given by a Marylander or on a Maryland web site. I've been trying to since I read your comment and CANNOT seem to do it! I found individuals from TX, CA, SC and NY talking about "Maryland Crab Boils" and how they'd like to try one or how they saw one of Food Network. I'm STILL searching.--Psf11 (talk) 02:55, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Ahh– this one's great– http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/620541 An "out-of-towner" looking for a "Maryland Crab Boil" is told by a Marylander: "We don't do crab boils here, just an FYI. The crabs are steamed and we call it a crab feast."--Psf11 (talk) 03:03, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Here is a popular Maryland seafood site published by the Rural Development Center at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore: http://skipjack.net/le_shore/crab/ "One distinction between the way crabs are prepared here and the way they are done elsewhere is that here they are steamed - not boiled. The unique sweet flavor is not diluted in the process. Any recipe containing crab meat benefits from this. So, it is best to always use crab meat that comes from steamed not boiled crabs. And, there are countless ways to enjoy Maryland Blue Crabs."

Many popular Maryland recipes are listed on the site though "boil" is never uttered– except in the above paragraph.--Psf11 (talk) 03:19, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Incidentally, yes, simply "We're having crabs" is probably what is said 99% of the time between family members and friends.--Psf11 (talk) 03:34, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Here's another one for you. Crisfield is considered the "Crab Capital of the World" in Maryland and the region. I've searched their site and related ones (their Chamber of Commerce, MD Seafood org, etc.). There's plenty of talk about MD seafood, steaming crabs and the big crab festivals but the word "boil" is nowhere to be found on any of them. If it was even a minimally popular concept in MD, wouldn't it appear ONCE in all that?

http://www.crisfieldchamber.com/chamber.htm

http://www.marylandseafood.org

I am into cooking– especially local seafood. I'm quite tuned into it. I have many cookbooks. You will REPEATEDLY see: Steamed crabs, soft crabs (as they're often referred to locally– as opposed to "soft shell crabs"), Crab Imperial, Chicken Chesapeake (crab Imperial topped chicken), Deviled Crab, Crab Cake, Fried Hard Crab, Fried crab balls, and a few others to a lessor extent. You NEVER see "crab boil" in authentic MD cookbooks, web sites or menus. --Psf11 (talk) 14:20, 7 August 2009 (UTC)

Here are some comments from my Facebook poll"– (Question) "I got into a bit of an argument with someone in a Wikipedia discussion page who claims "Crab Boil" is a frequent designation in Maryland (I actually altered the Wiki page that supported this). As we know– it is not. We have "Crab Feasts" and no self-respecting Marylander would ever boil the succulent goodness out of a crab. "Crab Boil" is a term used by outsiders to describe what we do. Does anyone disagree?"....

• "I agree with you! I have only ever heard "crab boil" used when we lived in Minnesota. I inquired, and was told it's typically a lakeside "beach" thing where a pit is dug in the sand and a fire built, and crabs then boiled, like lobsters I suppose. I've heard enough. Good day, sir!"

• "you're absolutely right! Down south is where they "crab boil" and it's yukky....."

• "Well, sounds like an idiot wrote that...from what I know about Wiki any old idiot can go in and edit crap. Is that true? If so, someone did it and was very misinformed! Maryland has it's own way of doing things and boiling is not one of them, that's a downright insult!"

• "Paul, in total agreement with you. In Md, it's a crab feast, down in New Orleans (where I grew up) it's a crawfish or crab boil. And it was pronounced "burl" and not "boil" ; )"

• "I agree with you Paul."

• "A boil is something folks do in Louisiana with crawfish. We steam crabs in Maryland we do not ruin them by boiling them." --71.173.195.74 (talk) 01:38, 9 August 2009 (UTC)

I think you may have gone overboard, all I wanted was a cited source in the article for any debatable facts, as per WP:V. Facebook polls, and discussion pages are all primary sources and/or Original Research and thus not appropriate for Wikipedia.

I agree, that I've never heard of anyone actually boiling a crab in MD, and I'd laugh at any Marylander or otherwise who did such a silly thing; but that doesn't mean that the act of steaming crabs cannot be referred to as a "crab boil". After all, to create steam, the water must boil. I'm webfiltered at present, but I suspect you'll find many Louisiana boil recipes also steam the seafood.

Anyway, I expect a separate article on the MD style crab feast is perfectly appropriate, at which point, all that is needed here is a "see also" link with a sentence explaining the relationship. -Verdatum (talk) 15:19, 10 August 2009 (UTC)

You said: "You'll need to back that up with sources. I've heard the term used in Maryland to describe the above recipe..."

This was in response to my comment that the term "crab boil" is not used in Maryland– not that the term didn't exist at all. Are you now telling me you DIDN'T mean to suggest Marylanders sometimes say "crab boil"?

I'm well aware of the criteria required to constitute an legitimate "source". But I as indicated, it's not easy to prove a negative. There are not sources to support every term NOT said in the world. In light of this I would think the abundance of evidence I supplied would in some ways carry at least as much weight as my link to some chef out there who agrees with me– or whatever. I gave you a number of Maryland sites which don't show the word– what exactly would have satisfied you?--Psf11 (talk) 19:27, 10 August 2009 (UTC)

You're right, it's silly to prove a negative. Sorry about that. My hope would be for a reliable source that states that no one in MD calls it a crab boil, but since there isn't evidence to the contrary, the burden of proof should be in the other direction.

You seem to be confusing the act of boiling a crab with the act of calling an action a "crab boil". My statement was that they do not boil crabs, but some may call it a crab boil regardless of their heating medium.

Again, it seems to me that crab feast should be in the "See also" and that's it. -Verdatum (talk) 17:17, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

No, actually that's my whole point. Not only do people in Maryland steam crabs, NO one uses to term "crab boil". If you said it, people would look at you funny. The term is not nearly that generic here. It is very much synonymous with the south and New Orleans– at least in minds of most Marylanders. It would be like saying people in New York often call their parties "hootenannies". While in some places that might be a fairly general term for a get-together, New Yorkers would not feel that way about it. They would have very strong connotations about a party like that that wouldn't relate to them.--Psf11 (talk) 18:59, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Do you live anywhere near Maryland? You realize, a *crab feast* and undoubtedly a "crab boil* are more than just kinds of meals or cooking methods. They're events. Even the simple act of having crabs with the immediate family is a special occasion, if you will, in some cases almost to the level of a minor holiday activity. They hold a lot more meaning than just the names of meals. It's not like arguing over whether your dinner should be referred to as a "baked chicken" or "roasted chicken" in which case no one would care one way or the other.--Psf11 (talk) 15:32, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I've lived in Maryland all my life der, hon. But at this point, you appear to be arguing for argument's sake. I've stated what I think should be represented in the article ("that crab feast should be in the "See also" and that's it"), how do you feel in that respect? -Verdatum (talk) 18:27, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

I'm not arguing with you any longer. Others read this information so I'm being as clear as possible.

Sounds good. Probably what we should do.--Psf11 (talk) 19:58, 12 August 2009 (UTC)

Texas

I am not a writer or contributor, just a reader and Texas resident and the question I ask is; is there any reason why there is no mention of crawfish in Texas? In Southeast Texas, one of the most populous areas in Texas, the Crawfish boil is a long standing tradition. Growing up in southeast Texas myself it was a standing tradition dating back some time that we had large crawfish boils with family and friends, mostly with crawfish we harvested ourselves from creeks and ponds. Now days almost 40 years down the road you can find crawfish on the menu of many different restaurants, from boiled crawfish served by the pound to more exotic fair like crawfish etouffee pistolettes. Crawfish boils are held by people of many different races and family backgrounds every weekend.

The rice industry in Texas uses crawfish as a natural soil filter and function as distributors for crawfish after the rice harvest. Texas is 2nd behind Louisiana in farm raised crawfish production.

The annual Texas Crawfish & music Festival in Spring Texas (est. 1986) will go through 20-25 tons of crawfish in 6 days. There is a Cajun Catfish Festival in Conroe Texas that features crawfish as a major part of its tradition. The Texas Gatorfest in Anahuac also features crawfish as a major component of its tradition, granted it is held during the waning months of crawfish season. All in all crawfish festivals are held all over Texas even as far west as Austin.

Due to the close proximity to Louisiana and the similar geography and cultures, Southeast Texas shares many of the same traditions and cuisine with creole Louisiana. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Mcnubins (talk • contribs) 20:33, 27 January 2012 (UTC)