What causes the difference between Maine and Canadian lobsters?

Question

In a first-season episode of the US TV show Kitchen Nightmares, the well-known chef Gordon Ramsay states that there's a "big difference [in] taste and flavor" between Maine lobsters and Canadian lobsters. He gets into an argument about it with a restaurant owner who claims that they're really no different. (If you're in the US, there's free video of the argument in question here, from hulu; start at about 16:33.)

Admittedly, I don't know whether Maine lobstering waters and Canadian lobstering waters border each other, though Maine waters and Canadian waters certainly do. And Gordon Ramsay owns more Michelin stars than I own plates, so he's clearly the expert. But I also find it hard to dismiss the owner's points — if they're true — that both lobster types are the same species (Homarus americanus), and come from the same North Atlantic waters.

So, what is the cause of the difference in taste/flavor/quality between Maine lobsters and Canadian lobsters?

Answer 1

First of all, Ramsay was primarily concerned that they were advertising Maine Lobsters and selling Nova Scotia Lobsters. He actually didn't comment on the flavour.

I've searched about 20 web pages (nothing authoritative) and the consensus is that the colder the water, the better the lobster.

But, the waters off of Maine are fed by the Labrador current, which is the same water that flows past New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia.

If there is a temperature difference, it is likely not very significant, and any effect it would have on flavour is minimal at best.

Answer 2

I'm no expert in lobster but all sorts of things can effect the quality of produce even if its the same variety.

Things like diet, water temperature and water quality could easily cause differences between 2 otherwise identical things.

There could also be differences in how they are fished/managed by the 2 nations.

Answer 3

I have lobstered from Montauk New york all the way to just south of Greenland. I come from a family that has been deeply involved in the losbter fishing trade since the late 18th century. My grandfather, uncle and brother have all, in their repective times, been consultants to the national lobster fisheries advisory board of both Canada(my grandfather) and The United States(my uncle and brother). I have worked as a chef in restaurants in Maine, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Cape Cod since I was in my late twenties.

It is mine, and my family's, considered opinion that the esteemed, if somewhat self-aggrandizing, Chef Gordon Ramsay is DEAD WRONG in is opinion of the differences between Homarus Americanus caught in Canadian waters as opposed to those harvested in American waters. There is virtually no discernable difference whatsoever.

Ramsay's opinionated, albeit ill informed, attack on the New York restaurant owner doesn't surprise me at all. On the original British version of Kitchen Nightmares I once saw him introduce, as a new menu item in the episodes featured eatery, what he dubbed , and I quote " a classic ceasar salad". The salad was served with two crisp stripsw of fried BACON! My 70 year old Rome born father in law gasped and said, "CLASSIC!!... maybe in Yorkshire!... he scoffed.

Answer 4

I believe it is the same thing that sparkling wine from Champagne can be called champagne, but those made outside of it cannot be named that way. I watched that clip and it Gordon picked on false advertising, regardless if there are actual difference in taste.

Answer 5

Possibly two reasons: environmental concerns and a lack of standards.

For the environment, Ramsay has often advocated for restaurants to serve fresh, local seafood wherever available. He supports local industry and sustainable harvest. He has a recent scathing documentary about shark fin soup, openly protesting inflated prices for the rare, costly, and underwhelming dish that puts environmental strain on the fishing industry. I am unsure, but both lobsters are harvested from different countries with different fishing regulations. He may have critiques about Canadian or American fishing industry.

High quality seafood restaurants often advertise from where their seafood is obtained. I'm not in a region known for lobster, but a region known for oyster. We have many regions in the pacific northwest whence oysters are harvested. Oysters in regions mere miles apart can have wildly different flavors. In a blind taste test, it's quite easy to match oysters by region based on their characteristics. I think small regional differences can lead to large differences in flavor between shellfish, based on water characteristics. No particular region is bad or low quality here, but for a restaurant to not know whence their seafood comes shows a lack of class and standards.

Answer 6

I believe the restaurant owner called it Maine lobster is to differentiate it from other species we call lobster such as rock lobster. Maine lobster describes all (western) North Atlantic lobsters whether caught in Canada or the US.