Up until the end of the 19^th century lobster was so plentiful that it was used for fish bait. Alas , with lobster ever-increasing popularity, those days are gone forever. This king of the crustacean family has a jointed body and limbs covered with a hard shell.

The most popular variety in the United States is the Maine lobster, also called American Lobster. It has 5 pair of legs, the first of the which is in the form of large, heavy claws (which contain a good amount of meat). Maine lobster are found off the Atlantic coast of the northern United States and Canada. They have a closely related European cousin that lives in Mediterranean and South African waters and along Europe’s Atlantic coast. Spiny lobster (commonly called rock lobster) are found in water off Florida , southern California, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They’re easily distinguished from the Maine lobster by the fact that all 10 of their legs are about same size. Almost all of the meat is in the tail because quite as sweet as that of the Maine lobster. Outside California and form of frozen tails, usually labeled” rock lobster tails.” Live lobsters have a mottled shell splotched with various colors, generally  greenish blue and reddish brown. Their shell turns vivid red only after the lobster is cooked. Fresh lobsters are available year –round and are most economical during spring and summer. Female lobsters are prized by many for their delectable coral (eggs). Also considered a delicacy is a lobster’s  TOMALLEY (liver). Because bacteria from quickly in a dead lobster, it’s important that it be alive when you buy it. To make sure , pick up the lobster- if the tail curls under the body it’s  alive. This test  is especially important with lobsters that have been stored on ice because they’re so sluggish that it’s sometimes hard to see movement. Lobster comes into various sizes and are categorized as follows, jumbo, over 2.5 lbs ,large from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs, quarters from 1.025 to 1.5 lbs, eights from 1.8 to 1.25 and chicken lobsters which average about a lb .

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