The aim of the study was to present a comprehensive characterisation of crayfish meat,
which is crucial to assess its potential usefulness in the food industry. To this end, we assessed
the yield, basic chemical composition (protein, fat, minerals), nutritional value (amino acid and
fatty acid profiles, essential amino acid index (EAAI), chemical score of essential amino acids (CS),
hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic ratio (h/H), atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity
(TI) indices), as well as culinary value (lab colour, texture, sensory characteristics, structure) of the
meat of spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) (n = 226) from Lake Sominko (Poland) harvested in
May–September 2017. Crayfish meat, especially that from the abdomen, was shown to have high
nutritional parameters. It is lean (0.26% of fat), with a favourable fatty acid profile and a very high
quality of fat (PUFA (sum of polyunsaturated fatty acids):SFA (sum of saturated fatty acids), n-6/n-3,
h/H, AI, TI) and protein (high CS and EAAI). It is also a better source of Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, and Cu
than meat from slaughter animals. Hence, crayfish meat can be an alternative to livestock meat in the
human diet. Owing to its culinary value (delicateness, weak game flavour, and odour), it meets the
requirements of the most demanding consumers, i.e., children and older people.