Welcome to lobstah season
Maine has become the lobster capital of the US. And while these sea creatures are now a well-known luxury meal, it wasn’t so long ago that they were relegated to feed prisoners and the poor.
Friends, I am thrilled to share that we are entering summer. Which, to me, means lobster season (or lobstah season, if you prefer a New England accent, which I do). There are few things I enjoy more than sitting outdoors and looking out at the water with a glass of wine in my hand and a lobster or lobster roll on my plate.
These creatures have been consumed by humans since the prehistoric period, and since then some of the most powerful civilizations — including the Romans, Moche, and Vikings — have played a role in shaping how they are prepared and consumed. The first known listing of lobster in a cookbook was in France in the 1300s, with the recommended preparation style of “cooking in wine and water, or in the oven; eating in vinegar.”
But how did they grow to high-end prominence in the US?
Well, when European settlers landed in America, they were less than thrilled to see its shores were crawling with lobsters. Unlike other fish, lobster needed to be consumed quickly after being removed from salt water. As a consequence, people who lived inland (like the pilgrims before they set sail) rarely had the opportunity to eat it. If they did, the lobster had been salted almost to the point of being inedible.
This unfamiliarity, coupled with the abundance of the scuttling scamps, led the colonists to perceive lobster as a low-class food. As such, it was used to feed indentured servants, and even prisoners. It is reported that neither group was overly enthusiastic about this prospect. Other than feeding the poor, the major uses of Maine lobsters were as fertilizer or fish bait.
So, how did lobsters crawl their way up the food chain? To oversimplify: trains, war, and overindulgence.
In the 1800s lobster canneries popped up across Maine. At the time, lobsters were much larger — to give you some context, 4-pound lobsters were considered too small to be worth canning. But soon, these factories became so efficient at processing lobsters that they had to turn to the smaller crops.
At the same time, railroads began to expand across the US and transportation managers began to serve canned lobster to their diners. As many of the passengers were unfamiliar with lobster, it was presented to them as a rare and exotic food — despite the fact that it was neither. While these consumers headed inland, up north, and down south, they learned something very important: lobster is delicious.
So, people began to ask for it in restaurants. As demand grew, and lobsters increasingly appeared on menus, chefs also began to realize that serving them fresh was even better than canned (who would have guessed).
Unsurprisingly, prices began to rise.
By the time the US entered World War II, lobster was already on its way to becoming a delicacy. As such, it wasn’t rationed like most other food. So, these crustaceans were consumed at an unprecedented rate — particularly by members of the upper class.
This is where basic economics kicks in. As demand for lobster rose, the supply became smaller (both in volume and the physical size of the lobsters), which drove up prices even further — pulling lobster from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the menu, where it has remained ever since.
So, if you’re lucky enough to enjoy lobster this summer — whether sitting at the dock of a bay, at the side of a food truck, or in the comfort of your home — I hope you take a moment to not only appreciate its flavor, but how it has clawed its way into our hearts, too.
Danilo Diazgranados is an investor, collector, and lover of fine wines and a member of the prestigious Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, a fraternity of Burgundy wine enthusiasts.
