Dried and ground small freshwater crayfish used as both protein and umami seasoning agent in soups, stews, and rice dishes. Pound for pound, one of the most mineral-dense, high-protein, and flavorful ingredients in West African and Black Southern cooking. Available inexpensively at African grocery stores.
The Gullah Geechee people of the Carolinas coastal islands use dried shrimp in the same way West Africans use dried crayfish — because the tradition traveled across the Middle Passage. APEX sees the ancestral bridge in the seasoning jar.
Dried whole crayfish eaten ground or as ingredient provides calcium from the exoskeleton — bioavailable calcium at levels that rival dairy, critical for the 70%+ lactose intolerant Black American population. Iodine content supports thyroid function. The protein density in dried form rivals protein powder.
Available at African grocery stores as whole dried crayfish or as powder. Use as seasoning: add 1-2 tbsp to any soup, stew, or rice dish. Store in airtight container. Small amounts deliver big flavor and nutrition. Also available at some Asian grocery stores as dried shrimp (similar but different species).
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