Fish
American Lobster
A tier
American lobster (Homarus americanus) is the iconic clawed lobster of the northwest Atlantic, from Labrador through New England to the mid-Atlantic. Soft- and hard-shell seasons, massive crusher claws, and abundant tail meat define the eating experience: sweet, rich, and slightly more buttery than many European lots. Soft-shell animals yield easier picking; hard-shell travel better live and give firmer texture. Steam or boil for shore dinners, split and grill with butter, or roll into lobster rolls with minimal mayo. The tomalley and roe colour sauces and stuffings. Keep cooking brief once the shell reddens and the tail meat springs back—American lobster is forgiving but still suffers when held at a rolling boil too long.
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Indigenous peoples of the northeast Atlantic coast harvested clawed lobster from intertidal and nearshore waters.
Canneries in Maine and the Maritimes turned surplus lobster into a preserved export commodity.
Live tanks and air freight made American lobster a global restaurant luxury beyond New England.
Canadian and US trap fisheries refined grading for soft-shell, hard-shell, and select live sizes.