What's a langoustine?

Search: langoustine

Why: In the New Yorker Shouts & Murmurs essay "Program Notes" by Yoni Brenner:

A brilliant exhibition of cascading motifs and shimmering orchestration, “La Mer” was a deeply personal project for Debussy, who had long been fascinated by the sea, having roomed with a langoustine at university.

Answer: A tasty little crustacean also called the Norway lobster!

A langoustine is a marine crustacean which looks a little like a miniature lobster and a lot like the river dwelling crayfish. Its proper name is Nephrops norvegicus. It can grow up to a foot in length and is prized for its delicious tail meat. Smaller langoustine have their upper parts discarded and their tails used for scampi. Larger langoustine are sold to be cooked whole. Then the meat from the tail and, in larger specimens the claws, is eaten either as part of a more complex dish or straight from the shell. They are a common feature in the traditional French bistro seafood platter and a very important element in Spanish cuisine.

I momentarily thought this was related to the word "lagniappe," as in the Louisiana Lagniappe that has this billboard all over Destin, FL:

but then I realized the G and the N are switched. Turns out a lagniappe is a little extra gift when you buy something, like the 13th roll in a baker's dozen.

Source: BlurtIt

The More You Know: There was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus.