The Lobster Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
The Lobster On The Dinner Table
By Barry J Smallhorn
When European settler’s first arrived in the New World, the lobster
population was at an all time high. There were so many of them
that piles up to two feet high, would accumulate along the shore
line.
Abundance made harvesting lobster as simple as walking down to
the beach and picking them up, which made them a staple meal for
poor families. As time progressed however, lobster populations
declined as well as the disdain for them. Fresh lobster, once
considered the poor man’s chicken, quickly became the rich man’s
prized food.
Live Maine Lobster In Fine Restaurants
Lobster has been harvested along the Maine coast for generations.
As times and tastes have changed, live Maine lobster eventually
gained popularity on menus in the nation’s finer restaurants that
offered cuisine seafood. In turn, live Maine lobsters increased
in value.
Two things helped Maine lobster to become popular; the invention
of the well smack and the adaptation of a technique that preserved
food in tin cans. A well smack is a fishing boat with a tank that
circulates cold seawater and was used to ship live lobster longer
distances.
Canned Lobster To Send Lobster Long Distances
By perfecting canning techniques, lobster canneries were built
so that people all over the country could savor the wonderful
taste. By 1880, by volume, more canned lobster was being consumed
than the live product. The canned lobster was making its way all
the way to California.
Before 1840, lobster fishing was done simply by collecting lobsters
that had washed up on the beach or had been stuck in tidal pools
when the tide went out. Then in 1850, the lobster trap was invented
and the industry was born.
Rich Pompous Diners Eating Several Lobsters
Shipments were sent around the world and parts inland. The first
lobster reached Chicago in 1842 and soon many top restaurants
started serving lobster to those who had an appetite for seafood.
Rich, pompous diners were said to review their options and show
off their wealth by eating several lobsters at one sitting.
In 1875, the first Maine lobster pound was established. A lobster
pound is the New England term for a facility used to hold and
store live Maine lobsters. Fresh ocean water is continuously circulated
to provide oxygen filled water for the lobsters. A lobster pound
also allows distributors to buy lobster at lower prices and then
sell when the market goes up.
It is ironic that while lobster has been available to most of
the country since the mid 1850s, it wasn’t really until after
World War II that it became as popular as it is today. Because
of war time beef and food rationing, live lobster became a great
alternative source of protein.
A Luxury Food
Fresh lobster has quickly become a luxury food for the Maritime
Provinces and Maine, and a highly prized export to Europe and
Japan. Although abundant, Maine lobster harvesters know that by
protecting resources today, they are protecting their livelihood
and this valued ecosystem for tomorrow.
Nowadays, lobster fishing is a regulated industry. State and
the federal governments have agreed to a minimum length the crustaceans
must be in order to assure that the lobster population has a chance
to lay eggs and reproduce before being caught.
About the Author:
Barry J Smallhorn has written a number of articles on recipes, cooking and food including
Seafood Recipes,
Tuna Fish,
Caviar,
Meat Recipes,
Cooking With Wine,
Food Recipes,
Potato Recipes,
Cocktail Recipes,
Organic Gift Baskets.
Keep a lookout for more articles on this website.
Did You Know?
Have you checked out local restaurant prices for lobster or other
seafood? It can be outrageous and easily run you over $25 dollars
a plate. Buying it frozen in the grocery store is not much
better.
You still have to take it home, thaw it and hope for the best.
If you live inland then you know how hard fresh seafood is to
come by. But rest assured that those days are long over. You can
order your fresh seafood online through many retail stores. It
is caught, packed and shipped directly to your door.
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