When in Rome...

Pick up a crawdad. Twist the head off. Starting from the right pulling left, then peel the neckskin (??) exoskeleton part off. Next, pinch the tail and pull hard (but not too hard or else you'll break the cockroach-like creature in two and lose all table cred with the locals). Voila! an inch's worth of meat will pull out. Ignore the other stuff that also "oozes" out and just put the meat in your mouth. Should you feel real brave like, suck the head empty. Yes, that's right - suck everything out of the head.

If you ask your local dinnermates/ teachers how to tell if a crawdad is a boy or girl - expect them to say, "I don't know, I guess just look under their skirts and pants."

And so it turns out that it's best really to not ask questions, but to keep your hands busy peeling, mouth shut unless eating, and try real hard not to lose your lunch in the process...