re: Who the hell dust their crawfish?

It adds a different flavor experience (assuming you aren't cutting the tails off with a knife and digging the meat out with a fork). That's it. If you don't like it, don't do it. If you eat crawfish cooked by someone who does and like it, that doesn't make you less of a man. I've boiled 5-10 times per year for the last 30 years or so. Boil them for 10 minutes then let them soak in 140 degree seasoned water for 30 minutes (or longer if you can wait). I dust them with seasoning when I pour them in the ice chest. Have never had a complaint.

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We’re talking 1/2 a carton of Tony’s, roughly, per sack, mixed in well and allowed to steam for a while.

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I’m not getting the benefit though and I’ve ate them. If you season your water, soak it, etc. you shouldn’t have to dust them.

The reason why they dust is “progressive seasoning”. The dust stays on your fingers as you eat, you’re continuing to season your crawfish. The problem is you’re overwhelming yourself with salt based seasoning that could be plainly avoided.

The reason why they dust them is because they steam their crawfish instead of boiling them. They want more tender tail meat.

I’ve had the dusted and clean. I don’t mind either.

I’ve had the mustard thing once, it was quite different . But, crawfish still tasted good.

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It's dumb, but their thought process is to get it on your hands/shell, then hands to mouth with meat/shell.

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So they have an incorrect process to cater to people that eat crawfish incorrectly. Makes sense.

I don't dust, mainly because its an extra step. I soak till they are ready, prop up the pot to let it drain for a minute, then dump straight from the pot to the table.

I don't mind dusted, but it makes it harder to eat as much in one sitting since your hands get dirtier (screw gloves) and the seasoning sits on your lips more. Also maybe just me, but the past few times I've had obviously dusted crawfish my evening poop is much rougher, very runny.

I wouldn't think with the way the original commenter described the Youngsville restaurant (not able to smell the boil) that is wasn't the same as Mermentau.

Last I remembered, you could definitely smell it in the Mermentau parking lot, and their crawfish had some outside seasoning as well as inside, as the guts/juice wasn't completely bland when sucking the heads and claws.

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Maybe I’m the minority but I love the juice from the boil(sucking head and claws) combined with the meat. To me, having one without the other is just not acceptable.

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I'm the same. I PREFER crawfish that have soaked a long time in heavily seasoned water and served with clean shells.

However, I have had plenty that were dusted. Lightly seasoned water with heavily dusted shells (or a paste/gunk thing that too many Houston places do) is not something I like at all. Gator Cove in Lafayette always seemed bland on the inside and heavily dusted on the outside.

I find the dusted that I prefer is still in well seasoned water, but then just to add a bit extra, layer the bugs as they're put in an ice chest with some extra dry boil, little bit of liquid, then either something like lemon juice or squeezed orange so the acid almost helps the dry stuff "melt" in the steam. Shake and keep ice chest closed for only a minute or two at the most, then dump on the table (or open and serve with scooper).

When done that way, I find it to be very good. I've even done it myself when doing multiple batches, and sometimes when trying to keep the first couple batches "not too spicy" for those in the group with more sensitivity to heat, I end up underestimating the water seasoning. Or need to spice up the remaining bugs left over that those who didn't want real spicy couldn't eat.

Overall, though, give me cleaner shells with lots of heat in the water.

I bet you wash them down with White Claws.