When lobster meets the bun

I had lobster for the first time may years ago. A good friend got a package of live lobster from the Maritimes, and we prepared it in the old-fashioned way of dipping them in boiling salted water. It was a special treat, but I wasn’t left with a yearning to eat lobster often. Until, recently, I had a lobster roll in Halifax and my mouth went to heaven. What a delicious dish! For the uninitiated, it is a nice, warm, butter-toasted bun, cut in the middle and filled with fresh lobster meat with mayo and spices. Not a cheap treat, but worth every penny, especially since someone else had to do the work and get the meat out of the lobster.

We certainly have come a long way from the colonial times, when settlers in North America considered lobster cheap food for the poor and fed it to prisoners. In Canada, Nova Scotia, with its abundant fisheries, had plenty of lobster. Apparently, children in coastal cities, who carried it to school for lunch, would often hide it out of embarrassment.

Lobster roll gained popularity in the 1950’s in Maine (USA) and 1990’sin New York. Now, it is a sought-after tourist staple, embraced by many restaurants and even food trucks. After I had my first one, I was curious about the nutritional value of lobster and I was pleasantly surprised to find out about its high protein content, low calories and fat (well, that is before you dip it in butter), no carbs, and high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, such as copper, selenium, zinc and vit. B12. Obviously, it would be too expensive for a daily breakfast, but right after I finish writing this entry, I am going to Google where to get lobster roll near me. You know, for health reasons… :)