Lobsters Were Prison Food

In the early days of American settlement, the shores of New England were often littered with lobsters, sometimes in piles two feet high following a storm. Far from being a prized catch, these crustaceans were seen as ocean-bottom scavengers, earning them the nickname "cockroaches of the sea." Their sheer abundance made them practically worthless, and colonists frequently ground them up for fertilizer and fish bait (Review) rather than serving them for dinner.

Because they were so cheap and plentiful, lobsters became a default protein for the lowest rungs of society. They were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, and indentured servants, who grew tired of the monotonous diet. In fact, the sentiment against the crustacean was so strong that some servants allegedly included stipulations in their contracts limiting how often they could be served lobster. This led to laws being passed that restricted lobster meals to just twice a week, as forcing people to eat it more often was considered a form of cruel punishment.

The lobster (Review)'s reputation began to change dramatically in the mid-19th century with the expansion of the American railroad. For the first time, lobster could be transported live to inland cities where it was an exotic novelty, not a common pest. This new demand from distant, wealthier markets, combined with improved canning techniques, transformed the humble lobster from a prisoner's meal into the celebrated luxury food it is known as today.