Generality
The lobsters are Decapod crustaceans of the Nephropidae family and of the Genus Homarus; from the morphological point of view, they are particularly similar to Italian scampi or crayfish (type Austropotamobius pallipes) while, compared to the group of sea shrimps, lobsters are distinguished by:
- Two large front claws, one more imposing than the other, with which it hunts and defends itself from predators such as: halibut, plaice, wolffish, etc.
- Four antennas, of which a couple longer and a couple short.
Claws and antennae, together with the legs, are appendages attached to the head. The brain and some viscera are also part of the head of the lobsters, while the body, which contains the propeller muscle dedicated to the escape, is segmented into several parts and ends in a "large fan-shaped tail.
Lobsters lay a large number of eggs, but only one in 10 hatches and reaches adulthood
Lobsters have a diet based mainly on bivalve-lamellibranch molluscs, sea urchins and other invertebrates but, occasionally, they also assume a scavenger behavior.
There are two species of lobsters: the European lobster (species Homarus gammarus) and the American lobster (species Homarus americanus).
European lobster - Homarus gammarus
The European lobster (Homarus gammarus) is bluish on the back and clear on the belly; it reaches half a meter in length, even if the specimens marketed are generally between 30 and 40cm.
The European lobster is widespread in the eastern Atlantic Ocean (on the African, Spanish, Portuguese, Anglo-Saxon side) and on the coasts of the Scandinavian peninsula (especially in Norway); it also colonizes the Mediterranean Sea where it is ubiquitously distributed but with greater density in the Aegean Sea (can also be found in the western Black Sea).
Fishing for the European lobster generally takes place in rocky bottoms between 20 and 50m deep, even if the crustacean can reach almost abyssal bathymetric depths, where it is caught using special pots; it is a quantitatively less present species on the market than the American one, even though it boasts significantly better taste characteristics.
American lobster - Homarus americanus
The American lobster (American lobster - Homarus americanus) has a morphological structure quite similar to that of the European lobster and is distinguished simply by the pigment of the carapace which is lighter and tending to brown-reddish instead of dark-bluish.
The American lobster has a very different behavior compared to the European lobster, which significantly affects the method of harvesting the crustacean. The American one is more courageous, aggressive and spends a lot of time in open water than the European "cousin", which for its part comes out of the den almost only to feed and rarely decides to face the opponent in open water. All this translates into a different fishing technique between the European lobster (by means of traps) and the American lobster, also caught "by hand" on sandy and not excessively deep bottoms.
Preservation and use of lobsters in the kitchen
As crustaceans, lobsters are subject to a rapid deterioration of their meat; they, like scampi, prawns and lobsters, contain high concentrations of proteolytic enzymes which, in conjunction with the massive presence of free amino acids, contribute to the early release of nitrogen groups. The process of decay of lobsters is also influenced by bacterial proliferation, even if, when the first hints of ammonia arrive, it is generally not high enough to justify the loss of edibility.
The lobsters are marketed "live and chilled" or "dead but frozen"; obviously, this second form of preservation compromises the original flavor of the animal which, however, has decidedly high purchase costs.
The lobsters lend themselves to simple culinary preparations such as boiling and steaming (typical of Catalan), but do not disfigure the composition of mixed grills, even after gratinating; in Italy, lobster-based first courses are also very popular, such as fresh pasta (tagliolini), dry pasta (sedanini) and risotto.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
ATTENTION! The live lobster is marketed with the claws blocked by two rubber bands to limit their movements; it is strongly recommended NOT to remove the bandages before the definitive suppression of the crustacean which, in an attempt to defend itself, could also seriously injure the operator involved.
NB. The lobster, if boiled alive, emits strange noises that are misinterpreted by the most susceptible as sounds of suffering; in reality, it is the "volumetric increase of the liquids inside the carapace which, by increasing the pressure, break the junctions of the segments and produce a strange hiss. In any case, remember that the practice of "live cooking" is not the most correct as (in the case of the lobster) it subjects the animal to a useless suffering. It is therefore advisable to quickly kill the crustacean before heat treatment.
Nutritional characteristics
Lobsters belong to the list of "potentially allergenic" foods; they are therefore not recommended in diets during pregnancy, lactation and in the period following weaning.
Lobsters are foods of animal origin rich in proteins with a high biological value, low in lipids, free of carbohydrates and, from an energy point of view, remarkably low-calorie; therefore lend themselves to slimming diets, diets for diabetes but NOT to diets against dyslipidemias, as they contain high amounts of cholesterol. The lobsters contain a quantity of purines which makes them unsuitable for feeding the hyperuricemic and gouty.
As far as vitamins are concerned, lobsters bring a good quantity of those of group B, in particular of Niacin (vit. PP); with regard to mineral salts, potassium and phosphorus stand out.
NB. The lobster, like the other crustaceans, has a carapace rich in chitin; this polysaccharide (when duly treated with alkaline solutions) is free chitosan, a molecule used as a lipid chelator in the formulation of slimming food supplements.
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