Weren’t lobsters like that? I remember reading somewhere that only poor people ate them sometime ago, beaches would sometimes get flooded with lobsters
Iirc that’s mostly because they spoiled so quickly. That’s part of why it was inhumane to feed them to prisoners (the other part was they just ground up the entire lobster).
In fact, many religious food restrictions are based on foods that could easily make you sick, like pork.
I think it also had to do with the fact that they’re bottom feeders, as most fish spoil fairly quickly without proper care (though some are definitely worse than others - I think shark starts going bad literally as soon as the shark dies).
Like your second point, many bottom feeders are more likely to have parasites and, therefore, probably built up a reputation as being unfit for eating (though lobsters don’t have any parasites that I’m aware of).
Someone told me they don’t eat pork because the pigs were at the bottom of the ark and and ate the shit of all the other animals and that is since then canon for me, because it’s one of the funniest reasons to not eat pork
My great grandmother grew up rough during the depression and lived near enough you could fish for lobster.
Her family would bury the lobster shells instead of putting them in the trash because they were ashamed the trash collectors might see they were eating sea bugs.
She still definitely enjoyed lobster. When it was in season it was tradition to have a family reunion for lobster dinner, and she boiled a mean sea bug. But she never could fathom even going to a restaurant to order a lobster - and that some people thought it was fancy would make her head explode
Lobster shells really should go back in the sea. Recycle that calcium (?).
I chunk many of my shells in the tiny ponds around the house (not too many though, they only range from 15 to 70 gallons). Calcium dissolves back into the water and tiny animals get a free meal, bolstering the bottom of the food chain.
Also used to throw a shell or three in my fish tanks so the snails could pull dissolved calcium.
But she never could fathom even going to a restaurant to order a lobster - and that some people thought it was fancy would make her head explode
This makes me think of how shredded tuna has become very expensive during my lifetime. It’s still not super expensive but it’s not dirt cheap either.
I’m thinking that when I’m old, will I see fancy restaurants serving spaghetti with shredded tuna, accompanied with real parmesan.
As it used to cost like some cents or something. Like 60 cents € or something for a can, whereas now it’s more than 2€.
Hehe, sea bugs.
Iirc lobsters can become much much larger than the ones we eat which are lil babies (comparatively speaking). The 2 or so lb lobsters we see are like 5yo but lobsters can live to be 100+ and 15lbs or sumsuch. Maybe the old crotchety ones folks ate back didn’t taste as good?
Pineapples were also a sign of wealth.
There was a time when people would rent a pineapple to just sit on the table at a party.
Have you watched the new Time Bandits show on Apple TV? It’s based on the old movie. There’s a whole episode where they fall into a 1700s French socialite party where the Earl of Sandwich–or whatever his name is–has rented a pineapple in order to have a pineapple viewing party. The episode was one of the funniest ones this season, highly recommend it.
I only saw the first episode, it was ok but it felt too childish for my taste.
It definitely improves from there since pilots have to spend time introducing the world, characters, etc. But yeah, if you don’t like British/New Zealand style humor, particularly that which pays much homage to Monty Python and Terry Gilliam movies, then it won’t be appealing.
It’s good to know that, at least in this one instance, someone else’s brain does free association on references just like mine does.
Oysters are, indeed, vastly unappealing as food; however, they’re not trash - they’re excellent water filters.
Correct, it’s the garbage they store inside their flesh that’s the trash!
?
I mean, you should be, because they’re salty gross loogies full of filtered poison, but it’s the whole fucking thing.
Imagine opening up a water filter and giving all that goodness inside a good taste
“Yeah. I really do want a big salty lugee in my mouth” ~ Oyster Enjoyers
For real, that big salty lugee is great! Did you know they’re actually alive when you eat them? They also don’t have pain receptors IIRC so they’re a very ethical source of protein. - actual oyster enjoyer
ethical
You eat them alive
🤔
Lol I’m not a fan of seafood but I’ve always found it unnerving that they have eyes
I like them on occasion, but I prefer them smoked, I think it does wonders to the natural flavors.
I’d much rather have mussels though (not raw, boiled). Mussels in a oil pasta is fantastic.
I am not a big fan of raw oysters, but if you bake them in the oven with breadcrumbs, cheese and a sauce, they are delicious
I mean… The bread, cheese and sauce is doing a lot of heavy lifting here… Using those 3 you can almost throw anything else in there and it’ll be decent.
I heard a thing in NYC was the immigrants could look for work, and if they didn’t find anything they could go to the shore, get enough oysters to survive, and keep going.
That must’ve been giving off a wonderful aroma. Especially combined with the cholera squirts of the era and ever present urine stank
So apparently that piss smell wasn’t actually from the open sewage.
It was because before cars took over horses were the primary mode of transport for people who could afford it, and horse piss is absolutely rancid smelling if it lands on something that doesn’t just absorb it like dirt or soil.
