In colonial America, lobster was anything but a delicacy. Along the New England coast, lobsters were so plentiful that they were widely regarded as undesirable food. Piles of lobsters would wash ashore after storms, sometimes reaching several feet high. Because of this abundance, lobster was considered cheap, low-status, and suitable only for those with little choice. It was routinely fed to prisoners, indentured servants, and enslaved people, and in some cases was even ground up and used as fertilizer for crops.

Its poor reputation was reinforced by the way lobster was prepared at the time. Rather than being cooked carefully to highlight its flavor, lobsters were often boiled excessively, crushed, or ground into paste-like meals. This rough treatment produced an unappealing texture and smell, further cementing lobster’s status as food of last resort rather than something to be savored. Historical records suggest that servants and prisoners sometimes protested being served lobster too frequently, seeing it as a symbol of deprivation rather than nourishment.

The dramatic shift in lobster’s reputation began in the 19th century, driven largely by changes in transportation and food distribution. As railroads expanded across the United States, lobster could be transported inland for the first time. Railway workers and station vendors served lobster to passengers because it was inexpensive, filling, and easy to preserve compared to other fresh foods. Crucially, travelers from inland regions had no cultural memory of lobster’s low-status past. To them, being served seafood from the distant coast felt novel and special.

As curiosity and demand for lobster grew beyond coastal communities, the way it was prepared began to change. Chefs and cooks started serving lobster fresh, lightly boiled or steamed, allowing its natural sweetness and tender texture to shine. This simpler, more refined preparation revealed flavors that had previously been lost through overcooking and poor handling. What had once been dismissed as coarse and unpleasant suddenly gained admiration.

Over time, increased demand led to overfishing, reducing lobster populations and making the crustacean far less abundant than it had been in colonial times. Scarcity, combined with improved cooking techniques and shifting social perceptions, transformed lobster into a symbol of wealth and indulgence. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, lobster had firmly established itself as a luxury item, featured prominently in fine restaurants and upscale menus.

The story of lobster’s transformation illustrates a broader truth about food and value. Quality alone does not determine worth; context, availability, preparation, and cultural perception all play decisive roles. Lobster did not change biologically—society’s relationship with it did. From prison fare to prized delicacy, lobster’s rise proves that what we value is often shaped as much by history and perception as by taste itself.