The Great Lobster Debate Why Canadian Lobster is Typically Cheaper Than Maine Lobster
Lobster lovers can endlessly debate the virtues of lobsters from different regions Two areas in particular often spark heated discussion – Maine and Canada. While both produce high-quality crustaceans, Canadian lobster tends to be more budget-friendly for consumers. But what exactly accounts for the price differential between Maine and Canadian lobster? Let’s dive into the factors at play.
A Quick Lobster Geography Lesson
First, a fast lobster geography primer. Maine and Canadian lobsters belong to the same species, Homarus americanus. This tasty creature inhabits the rocky, cold, shallow Atlantic waters off the Northeastern coasts of the U.S. and Canada. While their geographic range overlaps, Maine lobsters come from the warmer waters off the U.S. state of Maine. Canadian lobsters originate from the colder seas near Canada’s Maritime provinces.
Why Is Canadian Lobster Cheaper?
On average, fresh Canadian lobster retails for $6 to $10 per pound less than Maine lobster. So why does Canadian lobster ring in at lower prices? Several key reasons help explain the savings:
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Lower Demand – Maine lobster enjoys an almost cult-like following, with foodies willing to pay premium prices. The cachet and familiarity of Maine lobster across the U.S. stokes demand. Canadian lobster, while still popular, simply doesn’t command the same level of devotion.
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Higher Supply – Canada’s lobster fishery is over twice the size of Maine’s. In 2020, Canada hauled in over 150 million pounds of lobster compared to Maine’s catch of 56 million pounds. More abundant supply helps keep Canadian lobster prices affordable.
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Weaker Canadian Dollar – Exchange rates fluctuate, but the Canadian dollar has trended weaker than the U.S. dollar in recent decades. This makes Canadian lobster more economical for America’s lobster importing industry.
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Trade Advantage – A free trade pact gives Canadian lobster exporters duty-free access to U.S. markets. This preferential trade access offers Canadian companies a pricing edge.
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Lower Labor Costs – Canada’s seafood processing industry operates with lower labor costs compared to the U.S. This translates into savings that allow Canadian companies to offer competitively priced lobster.
Taste and Quality Differences
With Canadian lobster decidedly cheaper, does that mean it’s inferior in taste and texture? Not necessarily. Here’s a quick taste test rundown:
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Hard vs. Soft Shells – Canadian lobsters tend to have harder shells, while Maine lobsters boast softer shells. Soft shells make it easier to extract sweet lobster meat.
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Sweetness – The lush taste of Maine lobster has a slight edge in sweetness over Canadian lobster due to regional temperature variances. But both provide pleasing flavor.
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Texture – The tender, succulent texture of Maine lobster meat bests the slightly firmer texture of Canadian lobster. Still, Canadian lobster offers an enjoyable creamy, smooth mouthfeel.
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Timeliness Matters – Ensure lobsters are alive immediately before cooking, properly handled during shipping, and cooked soon after receipt for optimal quality, regardless of origin.
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Preparation Is Key – Proper preparation and cooking techniques profoundly impact the final flavor and texture of any lobster.
While nuanced differences exist, both Maine and Canadian lobsters can provide exceptional eating experiences. Let budget, availability, and usage guide your choices.
How To Pick The Right Lobster For You
Keep these tips in mind when selecting your perfect lobster:
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Consider your budget – Opt for Canadian if price is paramount or splurge on Maine to indulge in a quintessential lobster feast.
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Check for freshness – Seek lobsters that are actively moving and have a shiny appearance. Avoid any with an ammonia-like odor.
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Examine the shell – Pick lobsters with hard, rigid shells if cooking right away or softer shells for transport and delayed preparation.
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Scope out size – Petite 1-pound lobsters offer tender meat while 2-pounders bear impressive, meaty claws.
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Match the use – Select lobsters with generous claws for cracking and smaller tails for cooking whole.
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Seek sustainability – Request lobster sourced from well-managed fisheries, identified via certification. This supports healthy lobster populations.
With prices ranging from $8-$18 per pound for Canadian lobster and $12-$28 for Maine lobster, budget considerations may guide many choices. But with sound selection and handling, lobster lovers can enjoy exemplary taste and texture regardless of origin. The lobster debate wages on, but individual preferences and priorities ultimately determine the winner.
Maintaining the Lobster Population
In America, catching lobsters is a regulated activity that fishers have to abide to. Legal rules say that fishermen must measure each and every lobster that comes up in their lobster pot. To figure out how big a lobster is, you have to measure it from the eyes to the end of its shell.
For a successful catch, the minimum length of a lobster should be above 8. 5 centimetres. If it is below the required 8. 5 centimetres, the captor must release it back to the ocean as it is still growing. Also, if a lobster is more than 13 centimeters long, it should be sent back to the sea because that’s a great size for breeding. This greatly helps to maintain and grow the lobster population.
The American lobster, known scientifically as ‘Homarus Americanus,’ belongs to a species of crustaceans. You can find them on the Atlantic coast of North America. People often call them Maine lobsters because they are usually found off the coast of Maine.
The habitats of these creatures tend to be in cold and shallow waters. These waters are filled with rocks for the lobster to stay safe and out of sight from predators. They live in the ocean between 4 and 50 meters deep, but you can also find them 460 meters below the surface.
In Maine, the sea temperature is higher than the waters in Canada. This causes the lobsters from Maine to be softer than their Canadian counterparts. The slightly warmer environment cause the meat of Maine lobsters to be tenderer and taste more delicious.
When Maine lobsters are removed from the water, they can survive up to 48 hours. Transportation of the Maine lobster is carried out overnight to maintain the quality, flavour, and freshness.
Canadian lobsters thrive in colder temperatures, in which their shells become denser. This changes how it looks, and the meat isn’t as sweet or tender as Maine lobster meat because of it.
As their shells are denser, Canadian lobsters can survive outside of water for up to 72 hours. People often choose to buy Canadian lobsters because they can live for a long time, which makes them easier to ship and distribute. Canadian lobster suppliers capitalise on this to distribute fresh lobsters to consumers. Hence, most lobsters in supermarkets are Canadian lobsters.
Prices for Canadian lobster are much lower than prices for Maine lobster because people love Maine lobster more and want to buy it.
A lobster pound a facility that houses lobsters in tanks for rearing purposes. The tanks are filled with nearby sea water and have a regulated environment. Because of the rising demand for lobsters over time, a big chunk of the world’s supply comes from lobster pounds.
Lobster pounds often feature an in-house restaurant. These restaurants specialise in lobster dishes and cater to lobster lovers. Other than lobster, they also serve other varieties of seafood such as salmon.
Unfortunately, lobsters from pounds are often poor in health and contain artificial antibiotics to prevent them from dying. While they may appear to be healthy, negative health issues may arise from their long-term consumption.
A Brief History of Our Beloved Crustaceans
In times of the past, lobsters were abundant and were deemed as a non-desirable food group. They were usually used as bait, livestock feed, prison food. So how did this food group become a delicacy of today?.
In the 1800s, cooked and canned lobsters were sent to the army as food during the Civil War. People who ate these canned lobsters liked them, but they didn’t know that they were eating something that was traditionally considered bad for you.
People would travel to New England to eat fresh lobsters, which is how the dish went from being cheap to fancy. The demand rose as people started to crave lobsters in their own countries.
As demand for fresh lobsters have risen, so have people’s appetite for lobsters from popular regions. To capitalise on this demand, suppliers started transporting these fresh lobsters live. Because of how the logistics work, lobsters are now a treat that we can enjoy in many places around the world.
Is Canadian lobster as good as Maine lobster?
What is the difference between Maine lobster and Canadian lobster?
Maine’s waters are warmer than those of Canada, so lobster living in Maine waters have got softer shells. Consequently, their meat is softer and more tender when tasting it. But because of softer shells Maine lobsters have shorter time of transporting them after catching and the time makes up from twenty- four up to forty- eight hours.
Why are Maine lobsters softer than Canadian lobsters?
In Maine, the sea temperature is higher than the waters in Canada. This causes the lobsters from Maine to be softer than their Canadian counterparts. The slightly warmer environment cause the meat of Maine lobsters to be tenderer and taste more delicious. When Maine lobsters are removed from the water, they can survive up to 48 hours.
Why are Canadian lobster prices lower than Maine lobster prices?
Canadian lobster prices are much lower than the prices of Maine lobster because the latter has a higher demand with people raving about it. A lobster pound a facility that houses lobsters in tanks for rearing purposes. The tanks are filled with nearby sea water and have a regulated environment.
Do Canadian lobster shells get thicker than Maine lobster?
Some people insist that Canadian lobster shells get thicker than Maine lobster shells, but the difference would be so slight that it’s likely unnoticeable. However, Canadian lobster’s shells could get thicker a little sooner than Maine lobster’s shells because the water turns colder earlier in the summer season. What does this mean?