Can anyone tell me what the deal is with astronomical lobster prices in Florida?
Forget the cheapo lobster dinners in Maine and NH and Massachusetts - even in NJ, great 1 to 1-1/4 pound lobster dinners could be had at restaurants for $5.99 or thereabouts ($9.99 for the twin lobster dinners!) all summer long in just about every seaside town.
Here in Florida, though, even Walmart - yeah, WALMART! - is selling lobsters, in the summer, at $14.99 per freaking pound!!! Seafood prices in this state are off the charts, and with more than 1300 miles of coastline teeming with fish, I’d sure like to know why! For the $14.99 Walmart and other grocers are charging for a pound of uncooked squirming lobster, I used to have a nice dinner, lobster with corn on the cob and a baked potato, and throw in a bucket of steamers or shrimp cocktail as a starter...and I didn’t have to do the cooking (lobster tastes even better when served by a cute waitress!).
Is there something strange I’m missing here?
I didn't know there wwere different types of edible Lobster.
Google found this:
Lobster: The Sophisticated Crustacean
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Varieties of Lobster
By far the most popular and desired variety of lobster is the Maine lobster, which features sweet succulent meat and a subtle flavor. These lobsters are becoming rather rare and expensive as the area becomes rapidly over-fished, and due to this scarcity, restaurants often mislead customers by listing Maine lobster on the menu when they are actually serving lobster fished from off the coast of Canada (be sure to ask!). In response to this growing problem, Maine fishermen are starting to tag their lobsters as a certification of their authenticity.
There are certainly other species of lobsters, most notably the European variety, which is very similar to the American version. The European lobster is found in the Atlantic from Norway to Morocco, as well as in the Mediterranean. Though on average these are slightly smaller than their American counterparts, they are thought by experts to have a finer and more delicate flavor and texture.
Another variety is the Norway lobster, which is a pinkish-orange color and rather attractive. The tail of the Norway lobster is popular due to its tender muscular flesh; it is sometimes served with chips in the upscale pubs of the UK, but is highly esteemed as a delicacy in many parts of Europe and is often called “scampi.”