It’s Crawfish season and that means mudbug lovers are ready to get down and dirty for that tiny morsel of meat in each tail of every crawfish. But, for a lot of people, especially Cajuns, the meat in the tail just isn’t enough? They suck the heads too. They put the crustacean’s head to their lips and suck out everything inside of it. Yep. Personally, I think it’s gross and just the thought of it makes me cringe. But, there are plenty who beg to differ. So, what exactly are they sucking out of that crawfish head? Is it the brains? Well, I am so happy to tell you, that’s a no.


Crawfish don’t have central nervous systems so basically, their “brains” are actually receptor cells on the antennae and legs. There is an organ inside the crawfish head that oftentimes is mistaken for fat. That blob of “so-called fat” is actually something called the hepatopancreas, which functions similarly to a human liver. It filters out toxins and other substances that could potentially harm the crawfish. That, my friends, is what you are sucking out and digesting. Although it sounds disgusting, there are many people that love the flavor of the hepatopancreas, especially after it has soaked up all of the seasoning used in the crawfish boil. It’s often called “crawfish butter” and also “poor man’s delicacy”.