By Billa
If you google “What foods is Maine known for?” The top answer is invariably “lobsters.” So, on a recent trip to Maine, I looked forward to sampling a good deal of the crustaceans.
The state of Maine provides a whopping 80% of the world’s lobster supply. Driving along coastal Maine roads in the summertime, you see many signs advertising lobster for sale as well as countless lobster shacks serving lobster rolls.
What makes Maine lobsters so special? Their meat is sweeter than that of other lobsters because they grow in cold water. In addition, the cold water keeps them from absorbing the salt in the water. Moreover, Maine lobsters are bigger than those caught elsewhere.
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. They were called “cockroaches of the sea” or “poor man’s chicken,” and primarily used for fertilizer or fed to prisoners and slaves. They were dirt-cheap because they were so plentiful. Colonial 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.
So how did lobsters go from fertilizer to the rich delicacy we know and love today?
Today, 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. As demand increased, so did the price and soon lobster meat was no longer considered food for the poor.
The first lobster pound was established in 1876, in Vinalhaven, Maine in order to store fresh lobster. A lobster pound is much like the grocery store fish tank but on a much larger scale.
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.
On our trip, I first encountered lobster in a restaurant called Scales in Portland. Their lobster bisque had generous pieces of lobster swimming in a liquid enriched with a spicy sweet potato puree. Quite good, I thought. The piquant liquid provided a nice contrast to the mildly sweet flavor of the lobster.
In Portland, we stayed at a bed and breakfast whose owner was a retired travel writer. He recommended that we try the lobster rolls at the Five Islands Pier, about 15 miles north of Portland.
The roll came with special sauce, homemade French fries, and coleslaw. It was very good - sweet and buttery.
During the trip, we sampled other lobster rolls. They were uniformly excellent. I don’t think I’d mind eating them three times a week.
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