Broiled or boiled, the lobster is a master in the crustacean family. It is even sometimes called the "cardinal or the seas" because it turns red when cooked.

Two Main Types of Lobster

	Northern lobster (american lobster) Also called "Maine" lobster, it is fished off on the East coast of Canada and the North of the United States. It is larger than its European cousin with fleshier claws and a wider tail. Raw its color is a sort of brownish green. The Northern lobster is usually cheaper than the European one.
	European lobster Also called "Breton" lobster because its main production is from Brittany, but it is also fished in other places along the coast from Norway to the Mediterranean Sea. Connoisseurs say that it is the best of the two because of it is said to have more flavor. Raw, its color is violet-blue.

Both types of lobster turns red after being cooked, it is then very difficult to make the difference. You will have to trust the Chef!

How to Choose a Lobster?

• Fresh, it must be alive and moving strongly. The tail of a fresh lobster will curl when put in boiling water. A female is usually a better choice because it has a more delicate flesh and it is usually heavier. To make the difference, the male has larger claws but a narrower tail.
• Cooked, it should be heavy, with tail bent under (showing the lobster was alive when cooked).

Lobster FAQs

Questions you may have about lobsters:

Some recipes require to use a raw lobster that you would generally have to cut in half. In other recipes, you would have to plunge the lobster into boiling water.

Do you hurt the lobster when you are either boiling or cutting it alive?

Lobsters do not have a brain and their nervous system is as developed as the one of an insect. Because of this, researchers think that lobsters do not feel pain. You can also follow the guidelines of the British Universities Federation for Animal Welfare and put your lobster in a plastic bag in the freezer for two hours. The lobster will lose consciousness and die.

Does the lobster scream when being put in the pot?

No, it does not. The noise you can hear is the hot air escaping from the shell.

What can be eaten in a lobster?

Of course, the flesh, but what about the rest ? It is pretty much a matter of taste. The green stuff is the liver, it might not be appealing but for some it is the best. It is sometimes used in recipes. You may see some roe or eggs. It is edible on crackers as you would do with a "caviar".

What is the white stuff that comes up when I boil the lobster?

It is the blood of the lobster. It coagulates under the action of the heat. Nothing dangerous there and certainly no pollution.

What is a soft shell lobster?

This type of lobster is very valued by the gourmets. It is the regular hard shell lobster that sheds as it grows. During that time the lobster is very vulnerable as it takes about two months for the shell to get harder.

Grilled Lobster with Tarragon Coral Butter