Fish

Astacus astacus

S tier

Astacus astacus, the noble crayfish, is the traditional European freshwater crayfish of lakes and slow rivers, long prized for fine-textured sweet meat and ceremonial summer feasts. Populations collapsed in many waters after crayfish plague and competition from signal crayfish, so true noble product is scarcer and often premium-priced when available from managed fisheries or restocking programmes. Cook simply—dill, salt, butter—so the delicate flavour stays clear. Treat as a seasonal luxury rather than a bulk stew ingredient. Verify provenance; mislabelled signal is common where noble is marketed by nostalgia.