Ending the Little Saigon Crawfish Craze

by on 11-30-2016 in Story

If you haven't heard about the Crawfish craze in Little Saigon, you must not be Vietnamese or you must not live near Little Saigon.  It is absolutely ridiculous.  Ever since the Boiling Crab and the Crawfish House opened up, there have been so many copycats ever since.  

What is it?  Well, it's the Vietnamese take on Cajun food.  What's the Vietnamese take?  Fish sauce.  Just kidding, fools.  Traditionally, cajun boils consisting of crawfish, shrimp, potatoes, sausage, corn, and other shellfish are not so wet and full of flavor.  The Vietnamese have taken it to an entirely new level with butt-loads of garlic, salt, and spiciness.  

To all normal human beings, this is a cholesterol and high blood pressure nightmare waiting to happen.  For us Asians, we believe in the adage that we can eat whatever we'd like and we'll be fine.   It's in our genes.  

But the phenomenon has gone ablaze and has affected everyone in the surrounding communities.  It has crossed all racial boundaries.  I want to say it has crossed financial barriers, too, but it isn't an inexpensive meal.  Thank goodness for credit cards and student loans, college kids everywhere can still afford it.  

Will this craze ever plateau or be on the decline?  Doesn't look like it so far.  Vietnamese Crawfish/Cajun joints are still popping up everywhere.  Some are independent owners, many of them are franchises spawning from larger chains.  Wherever they're coming from, they have the capital and the confidence that their blend of spices and flavors are better than the rest.  

Some places are known for being more "buttery."  While others are known for being more "salty."  Whatever the case, the supply of customers don't seem to be dwindling anytime soon.  In fact, it seems that the demographic is still expanding to include more and more every year.  It's becoming an epidemic!  We'll see what happens in a few years when everyone starts having health problems and starts dropping off.  

Maybe there should be doctors who specialize in helping these future patients.  Doctors who specialize in handling patients who had an obsession with Vietnamese cajun food.  Maybe it's not too late for me to go to med school after all.