Ask a regular person or yourself what luxurious food do they usually order in a restaurant? “Lobster” will probably be the most common answer.
These sea bugs have a high profile in the culinary culture, but I never once tried it until this weekend. I was happy to break the life-long streak of not eating lobster, but I lowered my expectation to give it a fair rating.
I will share my experience on what does lobster taste like and give you my two cents (actually they cost $300 in this restaurant) on it.
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IS LOBSTER EXPENSIVE?
It depends on where you’re buying it.
Lobster may be the priciest item in the menu of a fancy restaurant in your town, but in some parts of the world, it’s as common as chicken and even more affordable.
Want to know a secret about these pricey crustaceans? Come closer!
A lobster’s price depends on two factors: how big were the lobster harvested for that season are and how much people are willing to spend for it.
In big cities with a coastlines, lobsters are considered a delicacy. Because restaurants and hotels need to cope up with the high demand, the price of lobster in these parts of the world is expensive all year round.
In small coastal towns with easy access to lobster, lobster tends to be more affordable. I remembered a story of my uncle when he was assigned in Guimaras, Philippines as an army scout early in his adult years.
They would eat lobsters there every day! It only costs around 400 to 500 pesos per kilo there, equivalent to 8 to 10 dollars here. Imagine how cheap is that!?
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SPEND LESS ON LOBSTER
If you’re a lobster lover and is always craving intensely for it but you’re nowhere near interested in paying loads of bucks for a single dine-in, there are a handful of ways to enjoy it while spending very little money. That includes:
Cook It Yourself
Forget going to those fancy restaurants and checking in at expensive hotels just to try it. Just go out and buy one for yourself.
This will easily reduce the price by at least half. In fish markets, they just cost $36 to $40 per kilo as compared to restaurants which sell it at incredibly high prices.
Buy In Season
There’s such a thing as “lobster season” and it’s usually during the summer.
May is usually the best month to buy lobsters, particularly the live ones, since the offer for it is low, and the demand has yet to kick in.
Buy Frozen Lobster
Fresh lobster is the best lobster to eat, but it’s also the most expensive. If you buy frozen lobster tails, it can help you save a lot of money. Since it’s not freshly caught, the price dips down a little, but the quality is still as good.
Sure this option may be a little pricey, but it’s still cheaper compared to eating a $300 meal right?
WHAT DOES LOBSTER TASTE LIKE?
Now you know why lobster is expensive and I’ve also shown you a cheat guide on how to lessen your expenses if you want to experience and enjoy lobster.
But do you really want to eat it?
What if it tastes bad?
What if you’ll only pretend to like it because it’s expensive?
So, getting down to the real deal, lobster tastes like…
First, a cross between a meatier version of shrimp. And secondly, a sweeter version of crab without the fishy smell.
Surprised? It’s very difficult to describe the taste of food because we all have different taste palates that makes us experience flavors differently. This is just my personal judgment.
If you’re expecting it to be a better version of shrimp flavor-wise, you’re in for a surprise. Lobster is chewier and a bit spongy in texture because of its high amount of protein, especially the meat in the lobster’s tail.
For me, it’s an acquired taste, but it’s definitely different from crabs and shrimps.
The taste may also depend on how lobster is cooked. The traditional way of cooking lobster includes mixing it together with butter, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Anything goes well with butter. It brings out the flavor of the lobster, and it softens the texture of the meat. While cooking in butter may be the most popular, it’s not the only one.
Lobster can be boiled, grilled, baked, and even fried in a pan. The taste and texture will depend on how it’s cooked. (e.g. grilled lobster is chewier, and its taste will depend on the seasoning/marinate it was soaked in).
Here is absolutely one of the best lobster recipes by Chef Gordon Ramsay. You can try this at home and make a fancy dinner.
On the other hand, boiled lobster has a salty, sweet flavor that reminds you of the ocean. Check out how boiled lobster is cooked in the video clip below.
Last but not the least, steamed lobster is sweet and tender; it’s almost nothing like seafood. Get the recipe below.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Lobster’s flavor is hard to describe and finding affordable lobster may not be the easiest task out there. But believe me when I say that this famous ocean delicacy is amazing and you should definitely experience eating it!
Did you find this article useful? Have you tried lobster? Are you willing to spend for it? Feel free to share your experience/s -- just comment below! Don’t forget to share this post. Thanks for reading!
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