Lobstah!

One of my all-time favorite treats on east coast visits to one very special Bostonian are Kelly's lobster rolls (preferably enjoyed on Revere Beach with a cup of chowdah and an ice cold brew).  This past weekend while visiting said Bostonian I once again splurged on that delicious lobster roll--stuffed to the gills with huge, meaty chunks of claw and tail, perfectly coated in mayo.  It got me thinking, one of the best parts of being a (newbie) east coaster is the lobster...(these bad boys to the left became a beautiful bisque)

In fact, lobster was not always a delicacy in the United States.  Colonial New England saw its shores literally bursting with lobster, to the point that colonists saw them as a throw-away food.  As society developed and class systems emerged, the natural abundance of lobster easily lent themselves to a cheap and thereby "lower class" food.  Some people posit that the effort required to put into eating lobster also added to upper class shunning of the delicacy (personally I've always found a little elbow grease for my food rather rewarding).

As America continued to grow and develop, so too did our tastes evolve in a sort of "trickle up" effect, or what these days we refer to as gentrification.  Just as tacos began as lowly street food and are now seen on gourmet menus, the elites ultimately realized what they were missing out on and lobsters gained popularity, such that by the mid 1840s, commercial fisheries were established. 

Up until the 1920s lobsters were relatively abundant, with the industrial revolution and transportation technology allowing them to be sent all over the country.  My great-grandfather, well known for his epicurean parties, was said to have had lobsters trained in from Maine for one particularly extravagant soiree.  As supply dwindled and demand continued to grow, prices rose which is why lobster today is now considered a delicacy.

Interestingly enough, lobster rolls were not invented until the advent of the hot dog bun (and what would a lobster roll be without that perfectly rectangular, toasted, buttered log of whitebread?) presumably in the mid 1950s or early 60s--the so-called convenience food generation.  Lobster rolls really ought to be attributed to America's fascination with salad, which, having evolved over time became a vehicle for any number of ingredients (peaking, once again, in the 50s and 60s with the infamous jello salads).  Tuna, crab, shrimp and lobster salads became the fanciest way to present seafood--toss with mayo and celery and serve.

No one knows what brilliant man (or woman) had the idea to combine toasted white bread and lobster salad, but you know who you are--congratulations, you invented one of the postmodern world's richest delicacies.   

  ...I seem to have posted in a timely manor...I just cracked open this week's NY Mag to this lovely article on lobster rolls!