For lots of us, by the time food reaches us, it is dead, processed, and packaged. We know that our chicken breasts came from a chicken or that a piece of cod was swimming around somewhere at one point. When lobsters come out of the cold water, they need to be cooked or processed quickly. This makes them a special kind of food.
But the tradition of cooking lobsters alive is one that disturbs people. It might seem cruel to put the animal in a pot of boiling water where it will die a painful death, but that might not be the whole story. Here’s how to kill a lobster without feeling bad about it.
Lobster is a beloved delicacy that many people look forward to eating. However, there is an ethical debate around whether it is humane to cook lobsters alive. This article will take a closer look at the arguments on both sides of this issue
The Case for Cooking Lobsters Alive
There are a few reasons why cooking lobsters alive has traditionally been standard practice
-
Flavor – Many chefs argue that plunging live lobsters directly into boiling water yields the best taste. They believe that the shock of hitting the boiling water can cause the lobster to release enzymes that tenderize the meat and enhance flavor.
-
Practicality – Stunning or killing the lobster beforehand takes extra time and steps that busy restaurant kitchens may not want to deal with. Throwing the live lobster directly into the pot is quick and efficient.
-
Tradition – Boiling lobsters alive is a long-standing practice and tradition. Many cooks have always done it this way and continue doing so out of habit.
-
Debate over pain – There is disagreement in the scientific community about whether lobsters even feel pain. Since they do not have a centralized nervous system like humans, some argue they may not experience pain the way we understand it.
Those in favor of cooking lobsters alive often state that the lobster’s primitive nervous system and anatomy means it is unlikely that they feel pain or suffer. The debate is still ongoing, but this is one justification frequently given.
Arguments Against Cooking Lobsters Alive
However, there are also compelling arguments against the practice of boiling lobsters alive:
-
Potential suffering – Even if lobsters may not feel pain exactly like humans, research indicates they can sense and respond to damaging stimuli. Dropping a live lobster into boiling water clearly causes a strong reaction. Many experts argue we should give lobsters the benefit of the doubt and assume this causes distress or suffering.
-
Modern sensibilities – Regardless of the science, today’s values and attitudes lean more towards assuming animals deserve humane treatment. Boiling something alive seems unnecessarily cruel to most people.
-
Preparation methods – There are various methods to humanely kill or stun lobsters right before cooking. Proper preparation techniques make it unnecessary to drop them alive into boiling water.
-
Flavor preservation – Research shows that pre-stunning lobsters helps preserve flavor because it relaxes the muscles. The violent thrashing caused by boiling them alive can make the meat tough.
-
Legality – Boiling live lobsters is already illegal in some places, like New Zealand and Switzerland. More legislation protecting the humane treatment of lobsters may arise.
The argument in favor of more humane treatment of lobsters before cooking boils down to the fact that we should minimize the potential for animal suffering wherever possible. Most experts conclude that having compassion for lobsters to err on the side of caution is the ethical choice.
Options for More Humane Lobster Preparation
Luckily, there are some decent options for preparing lobster in a more humane way:
-
Knife to the head – A swift plunge of a chef’s knife into the lobster’s head destroys its central nervous system. It is over in seconds.
-
Electric stunning – Special electric lobster stunners provide instant unconsciousness before cooking. Used by some restaurants.
-
Chilling – Placing lobsters in a freezer or ice water for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking sedates them.
-
Microwave – High-powered restaurant microwaves can kill lobsters in under 10 seconds before cooking by other methods.
While each method has some drawbacks, all of the above are considered more humane alternatives to dropping conscious lobsters into boiling water.
The Continuing Controversy
The debate around lobster preparation continues to evolve:
-
New legislation may arise to regulate how lobsters can be cooked commercially in restaurants or sold for home delivery. Consumer demand could also drive more humane practices.
-
More research is needed to conclusively determine if lobsters feel pain and how to measure their potential suffering. There are arguments on both sides of this issue within the scientific community.
-
Commercial lobster fishermen and cooks often push back against changing traditional preparation methods that have worked for their industries for generations.
-
Animal welfare advocates will likely continue pressuring the food industry to err on the side of caution and assume lobsters deserve humane treatment.
Most experts agree we should continue re-evaluating practices as research and ethical views progress over time. Just because something has “always been done” does not mean it is right. The debate continues.
My Take as a Home Cook
As someone who cooks lobster at home on occasion, this issue poses an ethical dilemma. Here is my personal perspective after researching both sides:
-
I don’t feel comfortable anymore just throwing a live lobster into boiling water. Even if they may not feel “pain,” it still seems unnecessary and inhumane to me.
-
However, most alternative stunning methods require special tools I don’t have access to at home. So I’m uncertain what the best humane option is for the average home cook.
-
For now, I plan to search for the most reliable DIY humane killing method for home use. Or I may start buying only pre-cooked lobster meat to avoid the ethical issue altogether.
-
I hope more definitive scientific research can emerge to provide clarity on lobsters’ capacity for suffering. In the meantime, I will personally err on the side of compassion when cooking lobsters at home.
This issue involves weighing culinary traditions with evolving ethical values. There are good-faith arguments on both sides. As we learn more, we can hope to develop new standards and best practices for cooking lobster that are both ethical and preserve the joy of eating this classic seafood delicacy. How we treat animals, even those very different from us, says a lot about our humanity.
Get Lobster High on Marijuana Before Killing it
The latest approach to the question of humanely killing a lobster is a theory that marijuana somehow lessens the lobster’s pain. A Maine restaurateur thinks so. She used pot smoke in an attempt to ‘medicate’ the lobster before it hits the hot water bath and floats to death in a gentle, drug-induced haze!
Can lobsters get high? For people, cannabis has been shown to relieve pain, but lobster is not people. The “lobster pot dispensary” was shut down by the Maine state health department because they didn’t think it was a good idea to sell lobsters that had been soaked in marijuana.
Conclusion: How to Quickly & Humainly Kill a Lobster
If you like seafood and are careful about what you eat, you should know how to kill a lobster without feeling bad about it. This article explains the freezer method, which is a kind and effective way to make sure the lobster dies quickly and without pain.
This way, not only can moral concerns be met, but the lobster’s flavor and texture can also be kept, making the whole dining experience better. The next time you cook lobster, remember these steps so you can enjoy a tasty meal without feeling bad about it.
Why Do We Boil Lobsters Alive?
Can you cook a live lobster?
Some chefs argue that cooking a live lobster makes the meat tougher due to the lobster’s muscles reacting to the shock of being put into boiling water. In some places, like Switzerland and certain parts of Italy, it is necessary to stun or kill the lobster before cooking. This is done to ensure the lobster’s meat remains tender.
Why do chefs cook lobsters alive?
Chefs cook lobsters alive for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that the lobster is fresh and not dead when cooked. Secondly, cooking a live lobster allows chefs to control the texture of the meat better, as they can adjust their cooking times based on how active or inactive the lobster is.
Can you eat lobster if it’s still alive?
In some restaurants, chefs would remove the tail and legs from a lobster that is still alive then skewer it with a deadly blow. Microwaving is considered another inhumane option. One of the biggest concerns with eating lobster is the tricky way it is cooked.
How should you kill a lobster before cooking?
There are a few ways to kill a lobster before cooking. You can boil, bake, steam, or cook it in another way. Freeze the lobster by placing it in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes before putting it headfirst into a pot of boiling water.