Why does American lobster become one of the most luxurious dishes in the world?

Lobster has long been known as one of the most expensive seafood in the world. However, have you ever wondered why they have such "acrid" prices?

Seafood is inherently cheap. And in the low-cost crowd, lobsters are always in one of the top positions, judged to be high-class, not always edible.

For those who do not know, there are 2 types of lobsters commonly known. One is the spiny lobster - or the dragon shrimp - which is the kind of lobster we often see in Vietnam. The other is American lobster - the lobsters have more , and they are super expensive shrimp.

From left to right: American lobster and lobster.

On average, an American lobster weighs from 1 to 1.2 kg with an initial price ranging from $ 30 to $ 45 - equivalent to 700 thousand to over 1 million VND. If dining at a restaurant, this price can be much higher.

The problem is why are they so expensive? Not natural, but everything has a reason.

Lobster farming is not easy

One of the reasons that lobster becomes such expensive food is because of the small supply . Unlike other types of seafood, in the past there was no farm that could provide lobster in large quantities.

Shipping.

The reason is that American lobster farming is not easy. Unlike the spiny lobster in Asian countries that have adopted breeding techniques, lobsters exist more and more limited. They eat a lot but grow slowly and are more susceptible to infectious diseases. Shrimp eggs are extremely difficult to take care of. Therefore, the market for importing lobster is mainly from fishermen. This makes supply not much and unstable.

On the other hand, transporting lobster from the catch to the buyer is also a difficult task , because they only survive in a cool and humid environment while still requiring adequate oxygen to breathe. Shipping costs are therefore not cheap at all.

From the experience of the best chefs, lobsters, the living ones. This also helps prevent harmful bacteria from appearing inside the shrimp. For this reason, many live lobster markets appear to meet the needs of buyers. The strongest lobsters will be sold to restaurants at higher prices than dead or weak shrimp.

Expensive processing

If cooked too soon before serving, the shrimp will become tough and less delicious.

Processing lobster is also a rather complicated process and requires the skill of the chef. Separating the meat from the shell is probably the hardest work, because the meat is usually stuck to the shell and can only leave when cooked.

Unfortunately, if cooked too soon before serving, shrimp will become tough and less delicious. This is an obstacle for processors and distributors of lobster meat. Some companies use the pressure of water to separate the meat from the shell instead of cooking it, but this approach is quite complicated so it's not really popular.

Thus, lobster must go a long way from fisherman to dealer, then to fresh seafood market or to the processing companies. From here it will be on the shelf at the grocery store or on the menu of a luxury restaurant. The price for each shrimp is also increasing each time it is shipped.

And part from psychology

People will feel the taste of food more clearly if they know it is an expensive item.

Lobster prices are so high because consumers often prefer expensive foods. Many studies show that people will feel the taste of food more clearly if you know it is an expensive item.

High cost has long been a characteristic feature of lobster. So today if a lobster has a slightly lower price, many people will start asking questions about its quality. That is the reason why this seafood still keeps its costly price for a long time.