Once considered the “cockroaches of the sea”, these crustaceans have come a long way from their humble beginnings. During the 1700s lobsters were so plentiful that they used to wash ashore on Massachusetts beaches in piles up to 2 feet high. If you were to see a 2-foot-high pile of lobsters today I’m sure your mouth would be watering, but in the 1700s they were not as impressed. Lobsters were considered the “poor man’s chicken” and primarily used for fertilizer or fed to prisoners and slaves. Some indentures servants even revolted against being forced to eat the meat and the colony agreed that they would not be fed lobster meat more than three times a week. While we are sure the indentured servants had many reasons to complain we can’t imagine that eating lobster meat could be such a gripe!
So how did lobsters go from fertilizer to the rich delicacy we know and love today?
It is safe to assume that most people know lobster meat is freshest when cooked alive, but during the 18th century this crustacean was prepared just like any other meat- after it was already dead. When a lobster dies its stomach releases enzymes into the rest of its body and increases the deterioration causing it to go bad quickly. This is most likely the reason people believed that lobster should only be served to poor people or slaves.
As the American rail transportation system began to develop it made it easier for people to travel from state to state. Train workers realized that they could serve lobster to passengers because it was plentiful and cheap. Unaware of the negative stigma that was attached to these crustaceans, the passengers believed they were eating a decadent food and began requesting lobster even when they weren’t on the train.
As word of this delicious meat began to travel it increased demand for lobster and crewmen realized they may have been wrong about this 8-legged ocean dweller.
The first lobster pound was established in 1876, in Vinalhaven, Maine. Early lobster pounds were used only as a method to store fresh lobster. A lobster pound is much like the grocery store fish tank but on a much larger scale.
As demand increased, so did the price and soon lobster meat was no longer considered food for the poor.
During the 1880s, chefs in Boston and New York City restaurants began developing recipes and lobster became a key dish on many restaurant menus.
As chefs experimented with different lobster recipes, they realized that the meat was freshest when the lobster was cooked alive. Cooking the lobster alive went a long way in changing the perception and taste of lobster meat.
When WWII began and food became short supplied, lobster meat was canned and fed to soldiers. During this time, lobster was not rationed and was consumed by the wealthy and poor.
Today, lobster is consumed in a variety of exquisite dishes and accessible with the click of a button. Maine lobster is hailed for being the freshest and most delectable because of Maine’s warmer water. The Maine waters help to create a more tender and sweeter tasting lobster. Cape Porpoise Lobster Co. has been dedicated to providing the freshest certified Maine lobsters and seafood for over 40 years. Cape Porpoise lobster tails are caught fresh, cut and immediately frozen. Available in a variety of sizes ranging from small to giant, Cape Porpoise has the perfect lobster for you. With free overnight shipping, we can guarantee that your lobster will arrive fresh and ready to prepare. Visit our Live Maine Lobster page to order yours today!
7 Things You May Not Know About Lobsters and Their History
- Early settlers found an abundance of the crustaceans: When the first European settlers reached North America, lobsters were so plentiful that they would reportedly wash ashore in piles up to 2 feet high. Their bounty made them a precious source of sustenance during hard times—and gave them a lowbrow reputation as the poor man’s protein. Dirt-cheap because they were so copious, lobsters were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, slaves and children during the colonial era and beyond. In Massachusetts, some servants allegedly sought to avoid lobster-heavy diets by including stipulations in their contracts that they would only be served the shellfish twice a week.
- Native Americans used lobsters in their both fishing and agriculture: American Indians of the Eastern seaboard used lobsters to fertilize their crops and bait their fishing hooks. They also ate the abundant crustaceans, preparing them by covering them in seaweed and baking them over hot rocks. According to tradition, this cooking method inspired the classic New England clambake.
- Lobsters collection has evolved over time: At first, lobsters were gathered by hand along the shoreline. In the late 1700s, special boats known as smacks, which featured tanks with holes that allowed seawater to circulate, were introduced in Maine to transport live lobsters. The workers who operated these shellfish-friendly vessels were known as smackmen. It was not until the mid-19th century that lobster trapping, also first practiced in Maine, became a more popular way to collect the sea creatures. The first lobster “pound,” a cordoned-off cove or tank where fresh lobster are stored in the water while awaiting sale, was established in a tidal creek in Vinalhaven, Maine, in 1875. The town is still home to a thriving lobster fishery.
- Lobsters can be cannibalistic: Once they make it into tight quarters of store display tanks, lobsters can display cannibalistic instincts. Sellers tightly band their claws to prevent them from feasting on their neighbors.
- They eventually became a delicacy: Lobster began to shed some of its negative reputation and gain a following among discriminating diners, particularly in Boston and New York City, during the 1880s. Prices immediately began to rise. Because lobster was considered a delicacy when World War II began, it was not rationed. The booming wartime economy allowed wealthy cravers of crustaceans to consume them at unprecedented rates. Though considered a rich and decadent food, lobster meat contains fewer calories than an equal portion of skinless chicken breast. It also boasts healthy omega-3 fatty acids, potassium and the vitamins E, B-12 and B-6.
- Their size and age will surprise you: American lobsters—or Maine lobsters, as they are commonly known—can weigh more than 40 pounds and grow up to 3 feet long. The largest lobster on record was caught off Novia Scotia in 1988. It weighed in at 44 pounds and was 42 inches long. Scientists believe it was at least 100 years old—twice the lifespan of the average lobster.
- Lobsters are known for their unusual anatomy: Lobster anatomy has changed little over the last 100 million years. Its brain is located in its throat, its nervous system in its abdomen, teeth in its stomach and kidneys in its head. It also hears using its legs and tastes with its feet. One of the few things lobsters have in common with humans: They tend to favor one front limb, meaning they can be right-clawed or left-clawed.
