Lobster Tales In Choosing The Best
By P. Murphy
Lobster, lobster recipes, lobster tails, maine lobster, soft shelled lobsters, green lobsters, and red lobsters. The choices seem endless when it comes to lobsters. But hard core aficionados have stated again and again that all it takes is a little know-how and the most simple and practical solutions to fully enjoy this king crustacean. Below is a simple guide for choosing lobsters for your palate.

Color, gender, shell texture, and age are the basic choices lobster, lobster recipes, lobster tails, maine lobster fans and cooks alike face when picking their lobsters. There are basically two colors to choose from: the red or the green lobster. There is no debate in this since they basically taste the same. The subtlety of the difference between their flavors are effectively masked by the butter sauce. A more pressing choice is the choice of getting which gender. Lobstermen agree that the female is a better choice.



Female lobsters may have roes, or unfertilized eggs which are tasty and considered as delicacy. Also, female lobsters have more tail breadth which means more meat. They need the extra size for carrying the eggs. How to tell a male from female lobster? Aside from the added breadth, females' swimmerets (the appendages under the tale) are light and feathery unlike the males' which are bony and hard. Another issue still in debate is the choice between getting soft shelled or hard shelled crustacean kings. This is usually settled by preference. Lobsters with soft-shells have just undergone moulting, which means that their shells are easily breakable. This translates to easier cooking and eating. Their flesh are also deemed to be sweeter-tasting. However, these soft and sweet lobsters are not without disadvantage. They are not good for traveling because of the delicate condition of their shells. Hard shells are then preferred when a lobster is expected to travel long distances especially in delivery. Hard shell lobsters are also bigger and meatier.

Though, lobstermen, fish market operators, and chefs agree that the choice of lobster is basically dependent on the consumers' preference, the method of preparation is still a big factor in choosing lobsters. Chefs and cooks usually choose their lobsters based on how they plan to prepare it. In planning to do whole lobster, lobster recipes, lobster tails, maine lobster specialties, or seafood soups, the kind of lobster to be used is vital. Hard shells are usually preferred for rough cooking like grilling, roasting, or baking as their shells can withstand the heat. Soft shells are usually prepared by steaming to avoid causing damage to the delicate shell. Females are preferred for soups and other savory dishes because of the added flavor of their roes. Male lobsters are best eaten boiled. Yet, almost everybody agrees, that with lobster, you can't go wrong with butter!

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