What popular expensive seafood was once a food of the poor? You guessed it – Lobster! The American lobster which is found from southern Labrador to Cape Hatteras, is considered the best tasting of the lobsters, and a culinary delight.

During the 1700’s and early 1800’s however, the American lobster was so plentiful in the waters off New England that one could walk down the beach and pick them up. In 1880 the wholesale price of lobster was 6 cents a pound. There were so many, in fact, that they were used as fertilizer and food for the poor!

Why is Maine lobster so highly sought after and prized you ask? Simple. The colder the water, the better tasting the lobster; and the waters off of Maine are frigid. These waters are ideal for lobster growth. Given enough time, the American lobster can grow as big as three feet long and weigh some forty-five pounds! But if you happen to run across this old timer, let him enjoy his golden years. These really large lobsters don’t make for good eating. Lobster meat is sweeter the younger the lobster, young lobsters are also much more tender than their older counterparts, although on the downside the smaller and younger they are the less meat they will contain. A general rule of thumb, when looking for live lobsters, is to keep in the range of 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lb. each and anything larger disregard.

Female lobsters taste better than the males and have more tender meat. How can you tell the sex of a lobster? Flip it over and look at the place where the head meets the body. You will see two tiny appendages. If they are soft to the touch you have a female; if they are hard, you’ve got a male

So far as choice of cooking method. Steaming is better boiling. You can smell the ocean as these beauties are pulled from the steam. But I gotta say, my personal preference is grilling. The sweetness that permeates the lobster is only enhanced by the char from the grill. Mouthwatering….. I mean this is heaven on earth.
Other cousins and distance relatives: Other areas of the world have their version of lobster. A similar European lobster – the Norway lobster is quite popular in Europe. The spiny lobster, which lacks the delicious claws of the American lobster, is found in the waters off Florida, the Caribbean, California, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. These do not compare in taste, however, to the robustness the Maine lobster brings to the table.

Real quick story.

Some time ago, I was living and working as a chef in Jamaica at a resort hotel (Rose Hall in Montego Bay). With some down time recreational scuba diving off the reefs of Jamaica seemed like the thing to do. So my buddy and I packed up and headed out into the beautiful crystal blue waters. For our own amusement we decided to check out some of the rockier outcrops of a local reef. Much of the reef’s cave dwellings were inhabited by spiny lobsters and other sea creatures. With all the activity during a mid-summer’s afternoon, it must have been mating season. Most lobster foraging happens in the late evening. But the reef today was hopping with activity. While exploring I locked onto what appeared to be a large rock. I realized it was moving. Upon closer examination, I was face to face with a two foot giant spiny lobster and no rock (its two antennae were like another foot) . I felt like I stumbled onto something rare and unique. I decided right then and there, he was coming home with me. I struggled mightily taking care to avoid getting stung by the spiny armor this badboy surrounded himself with. With great difficulty and great effort, I got him up to the surface looking for assistance from our boat captain. One of the locals grabbed some rope and we lassoed this creature from the depths from which he came, like they do in a rodeo. One of the craziest notions I had to realize and make happen. Nevertheless and after assistance from my friend and our local guide, we got him aboard. He had to weigh in at 20 pounds plus, maybe 10 years old? He was huge; the king of the hill! Let’s just say, he went down that evening with lots of Red Stripe beer and tall stories on the high seas. Great time and great memory!

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