What's the difference between lobsters and lobsters? Difference between lobster and lobster Lobster crustacean

When asked how a lobster differs from a lobster, many cannot give an intelligible answer. But at the same time, most of them believe that these are two completely different creatures belonging to the class of crustaceans. In reality, these two names have the same meaning, which is interpreted by different peoples in their own way. The French have lobster, the British have lobster. That's all the differences.

The lobster lives in the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the North and Mediterranean seas. In restaurants in many countries it is considered a real delicacy. Its fishing is poorly controlled by government agencies, which ultimately led to a decline in its population. Lobster is used not only to prepare delicious dishes, but also as a valuable agricultural fertilizer. It is not cheap, so not everyone can afford a lobster dish. Only a wealthy person can afford such luxury.

The most common is the American lobster. Outwardly, it looks like a crayfish, only its claws are much larger and its color is much darker. Life expectancy can reach 100 years, but few of them live to this age. Most become prey for fishermen and end their existence much earlier. This is because of their meat, which is in great demand.

And yet, there are certain differences between lobster and lobster, which lie in their color. The lobster has a dark green color, which helps it hide in mud and algae. The lobster prefers rocky terrain, and therefore green-brown tones predominate in its color. Recently, we have witnessed a mutation in both species, which has led to a change in their color. Now you can find: white, yellow, blue, red, and even multi-colored individuals.

The lobster's claws are simply huge and incommensurate with the size of its body. They are both a means of protection and a tool for food, and also perform many other functions. In addition to claws, crustaceans have four pairs of legs, with the help of which they move quite well both along the seabed and on land.

The lobster feeds on shellfish, small fish, and oysters. Goes hunting at night. During the day he prefers to sit in a secluded place.

The shell covers most of the crustacean's body and reliably protects its soft tissues. As the lobster grows, it changes several times. The new shell is too soft, and in order not to injure it, the lobster comes to land. There he remains until his new armor gets stronger.

Lobsters grow very slowly. In fifteen years they gain only one kilogram in weight.

Crustaceans reproduce quite well, but their offspring do not always survive. The task is complicated by the fact that females are born very rarely. Knowing this, fishermen, having caught a lobster with caviar, make a small incision on its fin and throw it back into the sea. The incision is a kind of calling card of the crustacean. If he gets caught in fishing nets again, he will certainly be released. Thus, fishermen are trying to somehow increase their population.

Lobster is incredibly prolific. Over the course of two years, the female lays up to 10,000 larvae. But this does not mean that they will all become lobsters or lobsters. Only 0.1% survive. The rest will die or be eaten by predators. The larvae are born from the eggs that the female lobster carries under her tail.

Only live lobsters are eaten. A dead crustacean cannot be eaten. His body is home to a huge number of bacteria, which, after his death, multiply at incredible speed, releasing toxic substances.

Lobsters, spiny lobsters, and lobsters are far from everyday foods. They are served in expensive restaurants, at parties and prepared only on special occasions.

The fact is that this is a rather expensive delicacy that not everyone can afford.

The name of these marine inhabitants is familiar to everyone, but not everyone has the opportunity to try it, much less distinguish these arthropods from each other. Therefore, today we will try to understand in detail how these crustaceans differ? And are they any different from each other?

This may seem funny, but in ancient times such a delicacy was the food of the poor and homeless. Their number was considerable, which made it possible for everyone to eat them and even made them fertilizer for the earth!

Let's start with lobster and lobster. There is no difference between them except the name. The word "lobster" has French roots, and "lobster" has English roots. This is where the distinctive features end.

The appearance of both the lobster and the lobster resembles an ordinary crayfish, only with more impressive size, dark color and frightening claws.

The habitat of these crustaceans is the Mediterranean and North seas, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The pride of lobsters and lobsters are their large claws, which perform a number of functions and are a means of obtaining food, protection and movement.

On the surface of these limbs there are teeth of different sizes and hardness. Small ones are intended for soft tissues, and large ones are for tearing apart hard prey.

The strength and power of a lobster's claws allows it to instantly capture prey and hold it almost motionless.

You cannot joke or play with an adult, since with its limbs it is capable of crushing pebbles, not to mention soft tissues and skin.
In addition to powerful claws, lobsters have four pairs of paws under their shells, with which they move along the seabed and on land.

The soft tissues of this arthropod are hidden under a reliable shell. The color of the adult is greenish with a tinge of brown.. This makes it easy to camouflage in algae and on rocky surfaces, because lobsters love to bask in rocky areas.

By nature, lobsters are predators. They eat small fish, shellfish and all kinds of sea creatures. They hunt at night.

Female lobsters are quite fertile. In one breeding cycle (this is two years), they can lay over one thousand ten larvae. Of this number of offspring, only a tiny percentage survives - 0.1, since the eggs are quite delicate.

For the first part of their cycle, they are located inside the female, and then they are attached with a special adhesive substance that the female produces under her tail. Due to this, female lobsters are inactive. It is very rare to catch them.

If this happens, then their fin is designated with the English letter V and sent back to the reservoir. This designation makes it possible to immediately identify the female during the next possible catch, in order to immediately release her back into the sea.

The thing is that the number of females is significantly less than males. Male lobsters closely protect their companions in order to continue their lineage.

The life expectancy of lobsters is long - up to fifty, or even a hundred years. The weight of an adult lobster is no more than one and a half kilograms. But due to the fact that it is a selective delicacy, adults rarely live even more than twenty years, because they are captured.

After all, the most delicious is considered to be a male of seven or eight years old, who weighs less than a kilogram. This “young” meat is the most juicy and tasty. Lobsters are sold only alive, because they need to be eaten immediately after cooking.

Cooking a dead lobster could put you in danger. Harmful, poisonous viruses and microbes quickly multiply in a dead carcass.

Now let's talk about the differences between lobsters (lobsters) and lobsters. These are also crustaceans, only from different families. Lobsters love warm waters, which is why they inhabit the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. They differ in external indicators. The lobster has not such large and powerful claws.

They are thinner and longer. The lobster has four pairs of legs, the lobster has five.. The lobster also has a brighter shell color - red with brown spots.

Their shell is covered with small spines, which serves as a protective measure, since the claws are not particularly powerful. Another distinctive feature is that the lobster has long mustaches.

In appearance, the lobster looks more massive and threatening, the lobster is somewhat a refined version. But in size, the latter is significantly larger than its relative. Lobster can reach up to 60 cm in length.

The Guinness Book of Records recorded a case when an individual was caught a little more than a meter long and weighing sixteen and a half kilograms.

Having studied the characteristics of both lobsters (lobsters) and spiny lobsters, we can summarize:

1. Lobsters are not picky, therefore they can live in both cool and moderately warm waters of the world's oceans, sufficiently saturated with oxygen. Lobsters choose shelf zones of tropical seas, where the waters are warm and calmer.

2. The claws of a lobster are large and powerful; those of a lobster are graceful and not so strong.

3. Externally, the lobster is dark in color, the lobster is brighter with interesting spotted patterns. The latter's shell is covered with spikes.

4. The lobster has four pairs of legs, while its relative has five.

5. The lobster has long whiskers, while the lobster has shorter whiskers.

6. Gourmets claim that lobster is much tastier because its meat is more tender. Although a lobster has much more soft tissue.

You can verify the differences between lobsters (lobsters) and spiny lobsters yourself: compare their appearance and taste. Pamper yourself and allow yourself to enjoy such an expensive but exquisite delicacy at least once.

Lobster (lobster) belongs to the family of large marine decapod crustaceans.

The lobster has a strong shell and ten legs, two of which have grown into claws. Although today they are considered a gourmet food, in the 19th century lobsters were used as fish bait and even as fertilizer for fields. Lobster has dense, rich meat under its shell, in its tails and legs. Lobster liver and caviar are also edible.

Lobsters are usually sold boiled, but they should be purchased alive if possible. Their shell is grey-blue and turns red after cooking. Small lobsters, about 750 g - 1 kg, have the best taste. When purchasing lobster, choose one that feels heavy for its size.

Typically, relatively small lobsters are used in cooking, whose weight does not exceed 1 kg. Lobsters reach this weight in 5-6 years, and they can live up to a hundred years! There are known cases when “long-livers” were caught, whose age reached 140 years.

Cutting a finished lobster requires special skill. Laying it on its back, the legs and claws must be unscrewed, split with the back of a spoon, and the pulp removed carefully so as not to touch the claws. Next, the lobster should be turned over. Using an extremely sharp knife, make a cut through the head to the eye, then cut through the center, dividing the body in half. In the middle you will see white gills, a long black intestine extending into the tail, and a small stomach pouch in the head - all this is unnecessary. Just don’t throw away the green liver lying in your head, it is considered a delicacy. Use it for sauce, because lobster without sauce is just cancer.

Useful properties of lobster

Lobster (lobster) is considered one of the healthiest protein foods, it contains few calories, cholesterol and fat than lean beef or chicken, but at the same time is rich in amino acids, potassium, magnesium, vitamins B12, B6, B3, B2, provitamin A, and is also a good source of calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc.

There are many recipes for preparing lobster dishes.

In France they love donuts filled with seafood. To prepare them, lobster broth is used. In Japan, lobster meat is an ingredient in dumplings and sushi, and in other Asian countries it is stewed in water with the addition of garlic and ginger root. Lobster meat can also be grilled or boiled by adding spices.

In Spain you will be treated to delicious paella with lobster, and in Italy - lasagna with it. In the south of France, bouillabaisse is popular - the first dish of fish and seafood, which is also not complete without lobster meat.

Alexander Gushchin

I can’t vouch for the taste, but it will be hot :)

Content

Lobsters are a family of Atlantic decapod crustaceans that people readily eat. It is known that by the beginning of the nineteenth century an attempt was made to artificially breed marine animals. Lobsters and lobsters did not take root in conditions created by man, or from a commercial point of view, keeping them turned out to be unprofitable. This crayfish lives in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of no more than 200 meters. Lobsters are scavenger predators. Animals feed on algae, benthos (zooplankton), organic remains, and small fish.

What are lobsters

This is the most famous subspecies of crustaceans and is often confused with lobsters. In fact, these are etymologically different names for the same creature. From a culinary point of view, lobster is an expensive delicacy, rich in vitamins and minerals. The large body of the lobster, which hides a powerful shell, is famous for its large amount of tender, tasty meat that has a unique marine aroma. The cost of fresh crustacean, frozen or live, can vary from 3,000-15,000 rubles per kg.

What they look like

Lobsters are large crustaceans that can reach 40-50 cm in length. They have a hard chitinous shell covered with unevenly spaced spines. The front pair of limbs are powerful claws with a serrated edge, perfectly adapted for grasping and tearing prey. The tail is powerful, with pronounced chitinous articulations, and makes up about a third of the body length, including the limbs. Under the shell there are 4 pairs of paws located close to each other. The color of the outer shell varies depending on the age and subspecies of the lobster.

Lobsters are often confused with lobsters, although the differences between the subspecies are very pronounced. The latter are distinguished by an elongated body and greatly elongated limbs. They do not have claws: the subspecies of crustaceans feeds on plankton, carrion, and seaweed. On the front of the head there are two antennae covered with chitin. The length of the processes is approximately equal to the rest of the lobster’s body, which in appearance, structure, and arrangement of internal organs resembles an ordinary shrimp.

How long do they live?

Like all crustaceans, lobsters grow throughout their lives, gradually going through a complex biological process of shell replacement called molting. Conventionally, the age of a lobster can be determined by its body size and color. It is known that the maximum recorded life expectancy for a male was 31 years, for females - 54. Particularly old individuals acquire a more matte color of the shell, by which they can be easily distinguished from young animals. The largest lobster was caught off the coast of Canada. The mass of the individual, according to the Guinness Book of Records, was 20.15 kg.

Chemical composition

The key distinguishing feature of marine crustaceans is their chemical composition. The body of arthropod inhabitants of the oceans is very rich in useful salts, vitamins, micro- and macroelements. This is explained by the characteristics of their area (habitat), as well as their diet. Eating tender lobster meat helps strengthen human immunity, improve physical fitness, normalize the acid-base balance of the blood, etc. The meat of these crustaceans contains the following substances:

Vitamins. Half of group B: choline, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, folic, pantothenic acids, cyanocobalamin, vitamins A, E.
Macroelements. Sodium, phosphorus, potassium, many calcium salts, magnesium.
Microelements. Copper, zinc, iron, manganese, selenium.

Beneficial features

Due to the presence of a large number of useful chemical elements and compounds, lobster meat can conditionally be considered a means of prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Residents of countries that have access to the sea, who often eat Atlantic crustaceans, note their excellent health. Such people, according to statistics, are less susceptible to the influence of chronic diseases of the immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems. When consuming the product, the following processes in the body are observed:

Improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system, stabilizing the process of hematopoiesis, strengthening the walls of blood vessels and capillaries.
Beneficial effect on hormonal levels associated with the reproductive system. Normalization of testosterone production in men.
Promoting the removal of waste and toxins from the intestines. Reduced absorption of fatty acids.
Improving the body's defense systems, normalizing the functioning of the immune system.
Stabilization of the nervous system, reduction of stress levels, development of resistance to the consequences of strong emotional and mental stress.

Hazardous properties

People suffering from gout should beware of eating Atlantic crustaceans. Lobster meat contains a lot of the substance purine, which contributes to the accumulation and production of large amounts of uric acid, which aggravates the symptoms of the disease. Lobster meat itself is considered a high protein food. Its consumption in large quantities will lead to a sharp increase in blood cholesterol levels, which will adversely affect the functioning of the cardiovascular system. It is also possible that an individual allergy to such seafood may occur.

How to cut a lobster

It is very simple to obtain meat from the carcass of a large arthropod encased in a durable chitinous shell. To do this, you will need large scissors, a towel or any clean cloth, cloth and latex gloves, a durable knife with a wide massive blade, and a large board. The cutting is done in the following order:

Wear fabric construction gloves to protect your skin from sharp chitin fragments. Pull the latex ones over the top so that there are no fabric fibers left on the shell.
Dampen a small cloth and place it under the board to prevent it from slipping.
Grasp the top of the lobster's head plate. With your other hand, gently loosen and twist the limbs with claws in a circular motion. In the same way, divide them in two at the joints. You will get 6 finished parts.
To remove the meat from a lobster claw, you need to break it. Do this with a sharp, strong blow with the flat, blunt side of the knife. Cut the phalanges of the claw along the tubular shell with scissors.
The tail should be separated from the body in a circular motion. Its chitinous cover may be needed for a beautiful presentation, so do not rush to separate it. Inside the remaining part of the lobster are internal organs that are not eaten.
In particularly large specimens, meat can be obtained from the 4 hind pairs of limbs. The legs are separated and cut in the same way as small phalanges of claws.

How to cook

On restaurant menus you can find many dishes that require various types of lobster cooking. The main methods of preparing it are baking, boiling, and frying. The crustacean is usually served with other seafood such as caviar, mussels, and scallops. The following cooking methods are the most popular:

Boiling. A traditional intermediate method of preparation followed by further cooking. To boil lobster, add salt to the water at the rate of 170 g of salt per 2 liters of liquid. After boiling, the lobster is thrown whole into the vat. The boiling time depends on the weight of the carcass: 20 minutes for each kilogram. Then the shell acquires the famous bright red color.
Roasting. Often used for pre-cooking before adding to Caesar salads. The most presentable parts are used - claws, phalanges of legs. They are turned out of the joints in a circular motion, the chitin is cut or split. The extracted meat is fried very quickly in refined olive oil.
Baking. The most beautiful lobster dishes are created using this method. There are two known options for serving and pre-cutting an arthropod carcass. In the first case, only the tail is baked, from which the lower part of the armor is cut off with scissors, where the filling is placed. Second method: with a very sharp knife, the lobster is divided in two along the body. The insides are cleaned, half of the animal is stuffed with filling, baked, and served on a large platter.

How to eat lobster

Large marine arthropods are a delicacy, the rules for their consumption are worth understanding. To properly cut a whole cooked lobster carcass, you will need a special long fork, scissors, and special tongs for breaking the claws. Like all seafood, it is customary to eat arthropods with your hands, only using cutlery to help yourself. Depending on the method of preparation and serving, the eating method may vary.

Start with the animal's massive claws. Twist and break them out of their joints. Break the anterior grasping phalanx with special tongs so that you can remove the meat. Cut the chitinous cover of the remaining parts with scissors. Stick a fork into the upper part of the body to make it easier to hold onto the tail. Turn the last one out, pulling it away from the carcass. Open the bottom layer of its shell with scissors and remove the black vein. You can start eating meat.

Rules for selection and storage

Before buying lobster, figure out how to correctly distinguish a fresh product from a spoiled one. Remember that marine arthropods can remain edible for no longer than a day. You can delay the spoilage of the product using blast freezing. There are no particular difficulties in determining the freshness of a lobster: the difference between spoiled and quality goods is obvious. Find out the methods, conditions, shelf life of Atlantic arthropods, and the rules for choosing them when purchasing:

The first sign of a high-quality fresh product is a pleasant marine aroma. When a lobster spoils, the carcass begins to emit a terrible putrid odor.
Large crustaceans are loners. They are kept alive strictly in separate aquariums, otherwise the individuals can greatly harm each other. A recently caught lobster can be easily identified by its shiny black eyes and movable antennae, with which the animal tries to feel everything around.
A fresh, chilled product can be easily distinguished from a spoiled tail by its appearance, which should be in a curled, tense state.
After slaughter, large marine crustaceans are stored for less than a day. Do not try to place a live lobster in an aquarium with fresh water - such an environment will quickly kill it.
At low temperatures, cooked lobster meat can be stored for two days without losing freshness.
Before serving a whole boiled crustacean carcass that was cooked more than 5-6 hours ago, boil it again for 2-3 minutes.

Delicious seafood dishes decorate the menus of the most expensive restaurants in the world, and some marine inhabitants have become frequent guests on the ordinary dinner table. Possessing excellent taste, they are high in protein, beneficial microelements and low in calories. This article is about what lobsters, lobsters, lobsters, langoustines, crabs, shrimp and crayfish are and how to tell them apart.

General information about crustaceans

Crustaceans (the named species belong to this class) are one of the most common animals on earth. This is the main source of food for fish and other inhabitants of marine and fresh waters. Crustaceans share the following characteristics:

the presence of articulated limbs;
breathing using gills;
the body is divided into parts: head, chest and abdomen (in some, the head and chest are combined into one part);
presence of 2 pairs of antennae;
due to chitin, a hard cover is formed on the body, in some representatives it is also strengthened with calcium carbonate;
some species have the ability to grow new limbs to replace lost ones.

At all times, crustacean meat has been present in the human diet. This product is rich in amino acids, phosphorus, iron, calcium, vitamins B2 and PP. A balanced combination of microelements, according to scientists, can stop the development of malignant tumors in the human body. Eating arthropod meat in moderation will reduce the likelihood of blood clots and help with anemia.

However, you should know when to stop. Considering the high cost of seafood delicacies, this is not difficult. Crustacean meat is high in cholesterol. Excessive consumption can harm blood vessels and the digestive system. Allergic reactions are possible.

What is the difference between lobster and lobster?

Treats from lobster, lobster and lobster are frequent guests at high society receptions. They are also offered to their visitors by owners of expensive restaurants. In this regard, it is especially surprising that in the old days, lobsters and spiny lobsters were the daily food of the poor and served as fertilizer for arable land. Most likely, in those years there were fewer people, and more marine life.

If you are in doubt about what to choose: lobster or lobster, then know that these are two different names for the same sea creature. The word "lobster" is of English origin, and the name "lobster" comes from the German language.

Lobster is the largest representative of crustaceans. Reaches a length of 40-50 or more centimeters. This is a much larger copy of its freshwater relative, the crayfish. Lobsters are predators. They hunt at night for small fish and shellfish. Massive claws with jagged edges instead of forelimbs are powerful weapons for obtaining food and self-defense. Under the hard chitinous shell there are four pairs of paws. The tail makes up approximately one third of the animal's entire body.

Lobsters live up to 50-70 years. Meeting an elderly person is difficult. Until the age of 20-30, they become prey for fishermen. These wonderful creatures live in oceanic (both warm and cold) waters. Norwegian Atlantic lobsters are of particular value. Their length is 22 centimeters. Gourmets are delighted with their special, incredibly delicate taste. Huge specimens of the European lobster reach 90 centimeters. Indian comrades are small in size, but have a unique rich taste.

There are much fewer females in nature than males. The actions of the fishermen inspire respect: having caught a female lobster with eggs, they make a V-shaped mark on her shell and release her into the wild. The next time she is caught, she will also be freed. This is how concern for preserving the population of the fishery is demonstrated.

Lobsters are sold alive. This preserves its taste and suitability for consumption. After death, harmful bacteria rapidly multiply in the dead carcass. Eating such a product can be harmful to human health. There is less benefit in a frozen product, and the taste loses its brightness and richness.

The main portion of delicious tender meat is contained in the lobster tail, the rest is in the claws and legs. Among connoisseurs, the green liver of males, tomali, is famous. In Japan, lobster is included in dumplings and sushi. In France, donuts cooked in lobster broth are filled with seafood. In Italy they love lasagna with lobster, and in Spain they love traditional paella with lobster. Lobsters are stewed, grilled, boiled. In Asian countries, meat is stewed in water with the addition of garlic, ginger and other spices.

Lobster is a more sophisticated cousin of lobster. Unlike the latter, it has a longer body and small claws. His advantage is a powerful movable tail and long mustache. The lobster has one more pair of legs, and the shell is decorated with an ornament of thorns. The body size reaches 60 centimeters in length. Prefers to live in warm, calm waters. Lobster meat is considered tastier and more tender, which is why it costs more. The tail and abdomen are edible. The most delicious delicacies are prepared from tails.

When purchasing live marine life, they can be easily identified by color. Lobsters have a gray shell with greenish, brown or blue hues. The integument of the lobster is colored depending on the type of animal. Edible lobsters are:

red-brown (red Breton lobster);
pink (Portuguese lobster);
green (green lobster);
brown (brown lobster);
brown with white splashes (Florida lobster).

After cooking they all turn red.

Lobster and langoustine

The lobster has a younger brother - langoustine. Other names: Dublin shrimp, Norwegian lobster, scampi. Lives in the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. If lobster resembles a crayfish, then langoustine is similar in appearance to a giant shrimp. It is distinguished by a strong orange or pink shell, pointed towards the bottom. The claws have a thin, oblong, ring-shaped shape. The animal reaches 12-20 centimeters in size. The meat is only contained in the tail.

Langoustines are boiled, salted, grilled, baked in the oven, and also marinated. Served in various sauces. In Japanese cuisine, meat is fried in batter. The dish is called "tempura". Langoustine is present in the French version of fish soup - bouillabaisse.

Sea inhabitants: crayfish, crabs, shrimp

Freshwater crayfish are our local Russian residents. It is unlikely that they will be confused with exotic guests. The difference is obvious. Compared to the flesh of other marine inhabitants, the meat of crayfish is considered to be somewhat bland, and they are easier to prepare. Rarely included in complex dishes.

Crabs are short-tailed crayfish. It is difficult to confuse them with lobsters. They live in sea and fresh water, as well as on land. They have a wide cephalothorax, a short abdomen and are equipped with claws. Crab meat is very tasty and nutritious and is used in dietary nutrition. One of the largest representatives of crustaceans is the Kamchatka crab. However, it is not a crab, and received its name for its external resemblance to the latter. This animal is a hermit crab. It is a valuable fishery object. It grows to an outstanding size - 150 centimeters in leg span. Culinary experts love it for its tender, sweetish and juicy snow-white meat.

Shrimp is the most popular and affordable seafood product for many. The cost of a shrimp is directly proportional to its size. It does not look as impressive as the aforementioned relatives. This is a crustacean from 2 to 30 centimeters. They live and are caught in almost all seas of the world. The famous tiger shrimp are grown in farms in the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. Among European representatives, the most popular ones are found in the Norwegian fjords.

Shrimp are recognized orderlies of sea waters. By feeding on the remains of dead fish, they act as a natural water purifier. The structure of the shrimp deserves special attention. While a crab's stomach is in its head, a shrimp's heart is there. She has the ability to change gender several times in her life. The sweetish and juicy taste of shrimp is more delicate and subtle than that of crayfish. In cooking, you can cook anything with them: salads, soups, tartlets, sandwiches, grilled dishes, baked in the oven, in batter. The recipes are simple and varied.

You can only understand whose meat tastes better through experience.

To learn how to cook lobster kimbap, watch the following video.