The Lobster Is A Local Delicacy

At the time when North America received its first European settlers, the lobster population was plentiful. They would often wash up on shore and form piles up to two feet high. Since they were so abundant and easy to harvest, lobster became a staple meal for poor families near the coastline. Slowly but surely over the centuries, disdain for lobster declined, and so it was that what was once a poor man's chicken eventually became a rich man's prize.

By the 1840s, commercial fisheries were big business in Maine due to the invention of the lobster trap. They catered to a public that couldn't get enough and shipments soon were sent throughout the globe. Quicker land transport brought the crustaceans inland as well. Lobster finally reached Chicago in 1842 and soon there were upscale restaurants in most major cities that offered cuisine seafood, where moneyed diners liked to show off their wealth by eating several lobsters at a sitting.

Today, lobster fishing is an extremely regulated industry. There is a constant push and shove between the lobster men who make their living catching them, and the environmentalists who wish to protect them. The state and federal governments have settled on a middle ground with a minimum length at which they can be caught. That allows lobsters a chance to reproduce and lay their eggs before they can be harvested.

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Making Better Choices At Seafood Markets

Seafood markets are chock full of any number and variety of fish and seafood options. For the average consumer, it may be confusing trying to sort out the freshest fish to buy from such a large number of choices. However, with a little help from your senses, like your sense of smell, touch and sight, you can weed out the highest quality fish for a delightful meal. Here are a few pointers on what to look for when buying fish.

Shellfish, such as lobsters crabs, as well as fish are sold at seafood markets live, cooked, frozen or fresh shucked. It depends on availability and the shellfish itself as to which is available. It can vary widely as to whether the animal is alive or dead at the time of purchase. The shells of live mussels, clams or oysters must be closed. If the shells open slightly, tap them. If they do not close, discard them. Their odor should be sweet and mild, without any fishy smell.

Buy only what you will use within one day or at most a couple of days when buying from seafood markets, unless you plan on freezing some of it. Choose fish seafood that is without blemishes and with the outside skin firm that springs back when touched. The smell should be subtle like salt water. If it has a strong fishy smell, then it is not fresh. By using your senses, you can choose the freshest specimens every time.

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Live American Lobsters

The state of Maine actually contributes more than half of all lobsters caught in the United States. The American lobster, also known as Maine lobster, is native to the waters between Canada and North Carolina.

It is easily set apart from the spiny lobster. The spiny lobster has tiny claws and the American lobster has large, heavy claws. Lobster has a sweet and delicious flavor and mouth-watering texture that makes it the world's most prized catch.

Right after lobsters molt, they are fragile and soft until their new shell has hardened. Molting is the process by which a lobster sheds its shell in order to grow larger. A soft-shell or new shell lobster is one that has recently molted. The quality and price of soft-shell lobster is less on both counts when compared to hard shell lobster. They have less meat and the texture of it is softer than hard-shell meat. For those reasons, soft-shell lobster is less expensive.

Maine lobster is not only great tasting, it is really healthy. Of course, too much butter can negate any health benefits, so go easy. It's hard to believe, but live Maine lobsters have less calories, cholesterol and saturated fats than lean beef, pork or skinless chicken.

It is a fantastic source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been proven to reduce the hardening of the arteries and to lower the risk of heart disease. High in amino acids, potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, vitamin A, and many of the B vitamins, lobsters are truly a wonder food.

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The Lobsters In Your Local Restaurant

A lobster is an ocean-dwelling crustacean that is related to the crab, the crayfish and the shrimp, and lobsters are caught in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. While they are often marketed and sold alive, their meat is also available canned and frozen.

There are many different kinds of lobsters, with the most popular being the American lobster and several species of spiny lobsters. A spiny lobster is also known as a rock lobster or marine crayfish. The lobsters that are the most commercially important are also the most expensive.

A disjointed shell covers the head and fore-section of the lobsters' body. In the head area, the lobster has a pair of compound eyes at the ends of jointed and movable stalks, with two pairs of sensory antennae. Five pairs of legs grow under the fore-part of the body. In the American lobster, the first pair has evolved into large, pincer-like claws used to crush prey.

American lobsters, such as Maine lobsters, live in the cool waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. They inhabit sandy, muddy and rocky areas of the ocean bottom from Virginia in the United States to Newfoundland in Canada. Spiny lobsters are found in warmer waters throughout the world and live in coral reefs, on rock ledges and in crevices. The areas they choose to live in protect the lobsters from enemies.

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Lobster For Dinner

If the idea of cooking a lobster dinner seems daunting and impossible, then think again. The two main factors that discourage preparation at home seem to be the fact that lobsters need to be prepared and eaten the day of purchase, and they must be alive immediately prior to cooking.

Don't let that discourage you. The following is a short guide on how to choose, handle and ultimately eat lobster. You'll be eating well without going to a seafood restaurant to do it.

A fish market will typically contain a salt water tank filled with live lobsters from which you can choose a tasty specimen. The freshest and healthiest tend to be the most active crustaceans in the tank. To keep your lobster alive and strong, make sure you take him home immediately and cook him the same day. Tender meat can be found in arthropods that are between 1 1/2 to 2 pounds.

Live lobsters are easy to cook, and now you know how simple the boiling method is. While they may be broiled or grilled, they are also delicious when just boiled or steamed. Boiling is probably the simplest method. To enjoy your lobster dinner, you need only melted butter as an accompaniment.

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