The beauty of New Zealand's South Island East Coast is the abundant amount of fresh seafood you can get while driving along the coast.
Crayfish is a MUST EAT while in Kaikoura. There are a few side road stalls selling crayfish about 20 km North of Kaikoura, but the most iconic is Nins Bin. This place was recommended to us by some locals, and we had, as the name Kaikoura translates to "a meal of Crayfish".
The closest thing a crayfish can be compared to is lobster. In terms of taste, crayfish meat is slightly sweeter and meatier.
Nins Bin has been serving crayfish since 1977.
Prices of the crayfish depend on the tail size, and all prices are written on each crayfish's tail. At this time of year, prices started at $40 and went up from there.
You can order your crayfish hot or cold. It is $1 extra if you want it hot, and another $3 if you want it with garlic butter. Side sauces can also be purchased for $1.
CK and I grabbed a cold crayfish with tartar sauce.
Most people eat the tail and throw the rest out, but there is heaps of meat in the legs, and in the knees.
I bit, chewed, slurped, and sucked every ounce of meat I could out of the crayfish. CK is a pretty reserved guy and stuck to eating the tail. He did try eating one leg, but didn't enjoy the mess it created.
As he was watching me eat the rest of the crayfish, he commented that if we were in the hunter gatherer days, I would be a catch. However, in today's society, that kind of behaviour is not so sexy. LOL.
Kaikoura is also great for its wildlife. Popular tourist activities are whale watching and dolphin/seal swims.
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6 comments:
um.. how does one eat the "knees" of a crayfish? Can't imagine being much meat there.. i will try that next time ;)
I'm with hungry hippo...
I'm quite confused. How does one eat crayfish? I've seen them on TV and books. And they're usually like shrimp size. Unless New Zealand has giant ones?
hungryhippo,
The knees of the crayfish is the part that connects the body to the legs. Not sure if that is the correct technical term, but that was the term the owner of Nins Bin used. The knees actually have more meat than the actual legs did.
The Asian Pear,
You're kind of right. When I go fishing, the crayfish I see are tiny. However, the term crayfish in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa refers to a spiny lobster (more info in wiki). Southern Oceania crayfish are the size of lobsters but lack the claws. Hope that helps.
Girl, I am so jealous!!! My goodness ... these look soooo good. With garlic butter? Heaven. Your photos are gorgeous and you look like you're having a ball eating as you move around :) Good on ya!
that brings back memories! we stopped by one of the little road side seafood places and got a cold crayfish and devoured it on the beach. it was amazing! i miss new zealand. i wish my kiwi husband would take me there more often.
a decent sized NZ crayfish will stretch from your fingertips to your elbow.
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