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Louisiana seafood Species GUIDE
PlENTy TO
CELEBRATE
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All year long, the unique ecology of Louisiana produces
an incredible variety—and an incredible amount—of the
highest quality seafood on the market. Located where
America’s greatest river system finds its way into the
Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana is naturally inclined toward
biodiversity—and its stunningly abundant seafood
array is proof.
Louisiana is the largest producer of shrimp, crawfish and
oysters and one of the leading producers of crab in the
country. And catfish, grouper, red snapper, trout, black
drum, amberjack and cobia are just a few of the finfish
species thriving in the state’s nutrient-rich waters.
There’s always plenty of seafood to go around, and
sharing our diverse bounty with the rest of the country
just comes naturally. Read on for more about what makes
Louisiana Seafood such a premium American product.
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WHY BUY
Louisiana seafood
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WHERE ECOLOGY MEETS QUALITY
The quality of all seafood is directly tied to its
environment. Think of it like wine, where landscape
and climate dramatically affect the flavor of the final
product. The unique ecology and fishery of Louisiana
give our seafood a flavor that’s undeniably better than
what you’ll find in other regions.
Essentially, Louisiana hit the geography jackpot, and
we want to share our bounty with the world.
The flavor of Louisiana Seafood is world-renowned,
but even more important than flavor is safety.
Some imported seafood has been found to have
contaminants and antibiotics that you won’t find in
Louisiana Seafood.
The health of Louisiana’s ecology ensures that
our seafood thrives naturally. So when American
businesses offer Louisiana Seafood to their customers,
they’re making a conscious choice to pass over poorquality imports in favor of an unparalleled American
product.
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YOUR BOTTOM LINE
So you know that Louisiana Seafood is prized around
the world for its superior flavor, quality and variety.
But what does that mean to you?
It means you’re able to serve higher quality seafood
to your customers, and they are willing to pay more
for that seafood as a result. And Louisiana’s unique
ecology delivers both quality and abundance, so
your base cost is controlled while your retail cost is
justifiable.
Louisiana’s vibrant fishing industry not only provides
jobs, income and tax revenue, but also generates
innovations that protect Louisiana’s coastlines and
help keep our waters pristine so we can continue to
provide the world with a premium, sustainable seafood
product. So when you choose Louisiana Seafood,
you’re helping to ensure an uninterrupted supply of
these quality products well into the future.
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OYSTERS
SHRIMP
- fine brine -
- small wonders -
CRAB
CRAWFISH
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LOUISIANA
BOUNTY
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- sweet eats -
FISH
- variety packed -
- crowd pleasers -
ALLIGATOR
- mighty meaty -
FLAVOR PROFILE
Briny yet sweet taste reflecting the natural flavor of the
sea.
Oysters
The flavor of Gulf oysters is unmatched by those
found elsewhere in the U.S. The combination of fresh
water from the Mississippi River and salt water from
the Gulf of Mexico generates the most complex and
pleasing flavor of all oysters.
BUYING OPTIONS
Natural, fresh oysters are available from private and
public Louisiana reefs.
Pressurized, pasteurized, frozen and irradiated are all
options for those who want post-harvest treated oysters.
All forms can be purchased in either in-shell containers,
shucked in gallon containers or other specialized
packaging.
In-shell oysters are sold fresh and unopened or frozen
on the half shell.
Shucked oysters are available in 5-pound frozen blocks,
individually quick frozen or refrigerated in their own
liquor.
Pasteurized oysters are flash-heated and then cooled
before shipment.
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE
AND FISHERIES WHOLE OYSTER TAGS
* LDWF requires oysters to be tagged properly with certain
time and temperature requirements.
G R E E N TAG
Post-Harvest Treated
Oysters must be
consumed fully cooked.
W H I T E TAG
Raw Stock
Oysters are for raw or
cooked consumption.
P I N K TAG
In-State Use Only
Oysters must be consumed in
Louisiana, either raw or cooked.
QUANTITIES
Oysters are sold by the gallon.
Standard: 300 – 500 oysters per gallon
Select: 210 – 300 oysters per gallon
Extra Select: 160 – 210 oysters per gallon
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE
Live in-shell oysters should be stored at 38 – 45
degrees and sold for consumption within 14 days
of harvest.
Shucked oysters should be cooked within 14 days
of shuck date.
Oysters can be frozen in their shells, on the half
shell or fully shucked. (Freeze shucked oysters in
their liquor.)
IDEAL PREPARATIONS
In gumbos and pasta dishes, chargrilled, fried, baked or raw.
AVA I L A B L E : Year–Round
P E A K S E A S O N : November - June
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Featured in these favorite recipes
FROM LOUISIA N A SEA FOOD.COM
Chargrilled Oysters With Bacon-Anchovy Butter
BBQ Oysters with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
Spinach Salad with Fried Oysters and Bacon-Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
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B U Y. L O U I S I A N A S E A F O O D . C O M
FLAVOR PROFILE
Sweet, savory and clean, with subtle flavor elements
resulting from a healthy marine habitat.
QUANTITIES
Shrimp are sold by size and measured in count per
pound.
“16 – 20” means that there are 16 to 20 of that
specific shrimp variety per pound.
One pound of head-on shrimp will yield roughly
two-thirds of a pound with heads removed.
Cooking reduces actual shrimp yield.
(For example, 10 pounds of shrimp will yield 6 pounds once heads are
removed. Once peeled and either fried or sautéed, those 6 pounds will
yield about 4 pounds of cooked shrimp.)
SHRIMP
While six different species are native to Louisiana,
more than 90 percent are either white shrimp or
brown shrimp. These varieties are noticeably sweeter
than imported shrimp.
WHITE SHRIMP
BROWN SHRIMP
Very tender
Firmest texture
Easy to peel
Very plentiful
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE
To freeze raw shrimp, remove heads and place shellon shrimp in freezer bags with ice water.
Shrimp can be frozen for up to 12 months.
Cooked shrimp can be refrigerated for up to four
days.
IDEAL PREPARATIONS
Fried, grilled, stuffed, boiled or steamed.
AVA I L A B L E : Year–Round
P E A K S E A S O N : May - November
BUYING OPTIONS
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Peeled and Deveined
Head-On (Whole)
Peeled Undeveined
Shell-On (Headless)
Dried
Tail-On (Headless)
Shrimp are available in either 5-pound frozen
blocks or individually quick frozen.
Featured in these favorite recipes
FROM LOUISIA N A SEA FOOD.COM
Boiled Shrimp • Seafood Okra Gumbo
Seafood Corn Bisque
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B U Y. L O U I S I A N A S E A F O O D . C O M
FLAVOR PROFILE
Mild, delicate and sweet, owing to nutrient-rich waters
and a thriving habitat.
QUANTITIES
A bushel of medium blue crabs usually contains
between 5 and 6 dozen crabs.
Eight crabs serves one adult.
One pound of crabmeat serves three to four
people.
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE
Keep fresh, live crabs well-iced.
CraB
Blue crabs thrive and are abundant in the bayous,
inlets and shores of Louisiana, and are one of the
most popular of the more than 4,500 species of crabs
found worldwide.
Crabmeat can be frozen for up to two months.
Chill the crabmeat, place in small moisture- and
vapor-proof containers and expel any air before
sealing and freezing.
The shelf life of fresh-picked cooked crabmeat is
up to 12 days from the packaging date.
IDEAL PREPARATIONS
Baked, broiled, boiled, fried or sautéed.
BUYING OPTIONS
Whole crabs can be shipped live, frozen
or cooked.
Whole softshell crabs are most plentiful in the
spring and early summer.
AVA I L A B L E : Year–Round
P E A K S E A S O N : May – October
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Picked crabmeat is sold as jumbo lump, regular
lump, claw and cocktail fingers.
Featured in these favorite recipes
Gumbo crabs (with shells and gills removed) are
for use in seafood gumbo and other soups, as
well as for making stock.
Old Tyme Cajun Cornbread Casserole
Louisiana Crab and Shrimp Gumbo • Seafood Okra Gumbo
FROM LOUISIA N A SEA FOOD.COM
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B U Y. L O U I S I A N A S E A F O O D . C O M
FLAVOR PROFILE
Rich and savory, yet light with a tender texture.
QUANTITIES
Crawfish are classified by size.
#1: 15 or fewer crawfish to a pound
#2: 16 – 20 crawfish per pound
#3: 21 or more crawfish per pound
Ten pounds of whole crawfish yields 1-1/2 pounds
of tail meat.
A serving size of boiled crawfish is 5 to 7 pounds.
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE
Crawfish
Wild crawfish are found throughout the Atchafalaya
Basin, where they burrow into the saturated soil of
the wetlands and shorelines and thrive in Louisiana’s
subtropical climate. The time they spend maturing
in these waters and feasting on local vegetation and
proteins gives Louisiana crawfish an incredible flavor.
Live crawfish should be kept in refrigerated coolers
and can be stored for up to five days.
Cooked, deveined tail meat can be frozen for
several months. Place tail meat in small containers
and expel all air before sealing and freezing.
Use cooked tail meat within a day or two after
peeling.
IDEAL PREPARATIONS
Baked, fried, sautéed or boiled.
BUYING OPTIONS
Live crawfish are typically packaged in plastic
mesh sacks at about 35 pounds each.
Tail meat is typically sold cleaned, deveined and
flash-frozen in 1-to-5 pound bags.
Frozen crawfish are available year-round. Live,
fresh crawfish are available during peak season,
and there is limited availability of live or boiled
crawfish out of season.
AVA I L A B L E : Year–Round
P E A K S E A S O N : April – June
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Featured in these favorite recipes
FROM LOUISIA N A SEA FOOD.COM
Crawfish Baked Macaroni and Cheese • Crawfish Boudin
Louisiana Crawfish Pies
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B U Y. L O U I S I A N A S E A F O O D . C O M
FLAVOR PROFILE
Varies widely from species to species.
QUANTITIES
Generally speaking, 1 pound of fresh fish will serve
three to four people.
Fish
Louisiana’s fertile coastal marshes, Gulf of Mexico
estuaries and freshwater ponds and rivers generate an
array of fish species as wide as the mouth of the mighty
Mississippi. More than 100 individual types of fish call
Louisiana home, which means there’s a year-round
bounty of the freshest catches waiting in our waters.
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE
Use fresh fish within two days of purchase.
Fish will keep frozen for three to four months.
Thaw fish in refrigerator for a day before using.
Cooked fish will keep in the refrigerator for up to
four days, and will keep frozen for one month.
IDEAL PREPARATIONS
VARIETIES INCLUDE:
Baked, broiled, blackened, grilled or fried.
Catfish
Tuna
Sheepshead
Red Snapper
Black Drum
Grouper
BUYING OPTIONS
Whole Round (Head-on and not gutted)
Whole (Gutted)
Headless and Gutless
Fillets
Available either fresh or frozen, depending
on the season.
AVA I L A B L E : Year–Round
P E A K S E A S O N : Varies by Species
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Featured in these favorite recipes
FROM LOUISIA N A SEA FOOD.COM
Smoked Gulf Tuna Niçoise • Gulf Fish Lyonnaise
Italian Seared Grouper
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B U Y. L O U I S I A N A S E A F O O D . C O M
FLAVOR PROFILE
Succulent, lean and mild, with a versatility that allows
for use in a broad range of recipes.
QUANTITIES
Alligator meat is usually sold in fillets, and you’ll
want roughly one quarter-pound to one third-pound
per person.
STORAGE & SHELF LIFE
Fresh alligator may be refrigerated in its original
packaging for up to 12 days.
Alligator
While it was once a novelty, alligator is now fairly
common in Louisiana kitchens. The flavor is mild, and
the texture is similar to chicken or pork, allowing the
meat to be used in recipes across all cuisines.
Unlike other proteins like beef or pork where the meat
is streaked through with fat, the fat of an alligator is
independent from the meat. It is high in protein and
very low in calories, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
BUYING OPTIONS
White meat or dark
Tail and body meat are white to pink in color and
more tender in texture, while leg meat is slightly
redder and tougher.
Available either fresh or frozen, depending
on the season.
Alligator meat should have all fat removed before
cooking or freezing, and it may be frozen for up
to a year.
Cooked alligator can be stored in the refrigerator
for about three days.
IDEAL PREPARATIONS
Seared, blackened, grilled or fried.
AVA I L A B L E : Year–Round
P E A K S E A S O N : September
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Featured in these favorite recipes
FROM LOUISIA N A SEA FOOD.COM
Blackened Louisiana Alligator Sliders • Alligator Creole Stew
Smothered Louisiana Alligator with Brown Rice
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B U Y. L O U I S I A N A S E A F O O D . C O M
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Visit Buy.LouisianaSeafood.com to find a supplier
for your Louisiana Seafood order and to learn
how you can take advantage of our co-marketing
incentives for your business.
For more on our species, our ecology and what makes
our seafood so special, visit LouisianaSeafood.com.
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BUY.LOUISIANASEAFOOD.COM
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