I love lobster. Luckily for me, I live in the US!

Do you remember my rant about American food last month? Well, if there is one food I don’t complain about at all in the US, it’s lobster!

I love lobster, and since I tried lobster rolls in Boston, I can’t get enough of it. Since this blog is about the differences between Germany or France with the US, I have decided to explore this lighter food topic and to explain why enjoying lobster is one of the highlights of my life in Washington, DC.

After a stopover in Iceland and 10 days at a client’s office in Germany, I’ve arrived at my final destination in France. It’s so good to feel at home again, both in Germany and in France. My favorite pastime is going to the supermarket to buy the food I’ve missed over the last four years! But I won’t eat lobster in France.

Lobster is cheaper in the US than in Europe

First of all, eating lobster is cheaper in the US than in Europe. In my whole life in France and Germany, I only had lobster a couple of time. I shared the first one with my husband in a fancy restaurant at the beginning of our relationship, and I even remember the price tag: €49. It was a small lobster, so after three bites each, we’d finished savoring the whole meal.

Also, finding lobster is easier in the US compared to Germany, especially because I live in the nation’s capital, close to the Atlantic, and only a few hours’ drive from Maine. How convenient for me!

I ate my fist American lobster at Cape Cod a few months after relocating to the US. In a restaurant in Provincetown, my husband and I shared (again) a plate with three enormous, freshly steamed lobsters. A few days later, I had a lobster roll and was hooked on this coastal classic.

What are the differences between American and European lobster?

I couldn’t really state the differences between American lobster and European lobster. Based on my observations of live lobsters, European lobsters look smaller than the ones I’ve seen in the US. They also have unique colors: European lobsters are blue, while American lobsters are greenish-brown. Of course, once cooked, they all turn red.

According to the blog Behind the French Menu, “European two-clawed lobsters taste a little sweeter than their American cousins. But, they are much, much, more expensive and usually seen in small sizes. Price and size are the reasons why you will see imported American lobsters on French menus.”

I think I’m lucky to live in the US and close to the Atlantic. It means that I can enjoy lobster more frequently than I ever did in Europe—and for reasonable prices.