5 of 9

Write now Article Tools

How did the lobster go from poor man's food to a rich man's delicacy?

When the earliest settlers arrived on the New England coast of America, lobsters were common and plentiful. In fact, the earliest New Englanders barely even needed to make any effort to trap them! According to the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink (John F. Mariani, 1999)

"...when the first Europeans came to America, the lobster was one of the most commonly found crustaceans. They sometimes washed up on the beaches of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in piles of two feet high..."

Furthermore, in those days before competitive commercial trapping, lobsters could live long and grow naturally, safe from the lobsterman's trap, often weighing over twenty pounds. A single one of these giants could provide yesteryear's family with just another meal, but what today would be an eye-popping feast beyond belief.

Simple economics came into play here- with such an ample supply of lobsters, the demand was lukewarm. The abundance of this most common crustacean (and the ability to simply go down to the beach and collect your own for free!) made for an inexpensive meal. Indeed, because of the sheer plenitude of lobsters, it was considered a poor man's food in those days, a frequent meal on the dinner table of the common man.

Throughout the 19th century, though, Americans developed a greater and greater taste for lobster, and fisheries began trapping the crustaceans commercially on a greater and greater scale to keep up with the demand. Maine lobsters especially developed a certain mystique (a great "brand", if you will) about them, along with the appropriate higher prices. Lobsters soon were being shipped all over the country, much to the delight of gourmet chefs and food lovers. New recipes and preparation methods developed, resulting in the rich man's delicacy we know today.

With a rising demand, there of course came a dwindling supply.... the combination of which will naturally increase the price. Due to diligent trapping by commercial lobstermen, lobster populations have decreased drastically. The spiny red creatures within commercial fishing waters are also no longer allowed to grow to the gigantic sizes they once naturally did. Scarcity and the attendant higher prices, as well as the smaller, one-person serving size of a single lobster all contributed to the humble lobster being the rich man's delicacy it is today.

Learn more about this author, Christine Conte.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How the lobster went from poor man's food to rich man's delicacy?
We want to hear your view. Write now!