How to Eat a Lobster

Lobsters belong to the crustacean group. They can be broadly divided into those having claws and those without claws. They can be obtained from the sea as well as from freshwater bodies. A lobster is served as an expensive gourmet dish, and its price depends on its type.

Clawed lobsters, especially Reef lobsters, are commonly eaten. They are green in color when they are taken out from the water, and turn red when cooked. Lobsters can be boiled, grilled, or steamed. Boiling is the easiest method of cooking a lobster. It is usually served with lemon and butter.

Lobster is a seafood delicacy enjoyed by many people all over the world. The lobster tail, particularly, is the most preferred and popular portion consumed. The meat in the tail is tender and sweet, while the claws are more flavored. Some lobsters have soft shells that can be cut open with bare hands.

• Lobster Bib: You will definitely need it as cutting and eating a lobster is a messy process. A lobster bib is made up of plastic, and protects your clothes from the lobster juice and butter. If not available, you can use table napkins.

• Lobster Pick: It is used to extract tiny portions of meat from small parts of the lobster.
• Claw Cracker: It is used to crack lobster claws. You can also use a nut cracker instead.

Now let's get to the most important part, that is pulling the meat out of that hard shell and eating the lobster. It is quite simple if you follow the right technique. You need not wrestle with a fork and knife to cut the lobster shell, as cutting into it is quite a hands-on experience.

• The claws are the easiest part to begin with. You have to twist the claws and separate them from their joints. Begin with the front claws. Crack the claws using the claw cracker or the nut cracker. Take out the meat using a lobster pick.

• Now separate the tail and body using a twisting motion. This you will have to do with some force. Split the two apart. You will notice a green substance which is actually the lobster's liver, known as tomalley. Eating tomalley is individual preference, some may like it, while some may not stand it.

• Break the tail flippers from the tail. If you find it difficult, you can use the kitchen knife to cut the shell. Extract the meat using your finger or a fork. You must remember to remove the digestive tract that is below the meat, as it is not to be eaten.

• Use lobster picks to remove the meat from the legs and tail fins. When you remove the smaller claws you will find meat in the joints, which can be difficult to extract. You can suck it directly like sucking on a straw, or cut the extracted meat into small piece, dip it in melted butter, and eat it using a seafood fork.

Some restaurants may serve lobsters that are cut in the middle. This will be a great help to you and also save your time. A little practice will make you a pro in cutting and eating a lobster effortlessly.