Lobster and its cultivation

- a lobster takes 6-8 yrs to grow to 1 pound
- there's a variety of lobster species found in the world
- normally in warm ocean beds or near the shores
- some hide deep in the sea and are hard to catch

- lobsters are the kings of seafood
- Singaporeans regard lobsters as exquisite seafood cuisine
- they're also fairly rich in nutrients
- every 100g contains 18.9g of proteins
- can lobsters be found only deep in the sea?

- located at Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia is a small town called Apollo Bay
- there's a port with a lovely mountain and sea view and fishing boats moored at sea
- southern rock lobster live in rocks which are 2-3 metres or even 200 metres deep in the sea
- cages are used to catch lobsters and bait is put inside (usually fish meat or any kinds of meat as lobsters eat practically everything)
- haul the cages back after 24 hours, the cages may or may not have lobsters
- this is repeated until lobsters appeared in the cages (the longest wait is 4 days)

- fisherman catch other fishes or read while waiting using nets
- the boat will set sail after the cage is dropped into the sea
- there's a pink buoy to mark the location
- there may be 1-3 (about 2kg each) lobsters in the cage

- caught lobsters are dropped into a pipe connected to a storage tank with sea water under the plank
- about 400kg of lobsters can be stored there
- holes in the tank allow the sea water to flow in
- lobsters won't reel from shock when they're tossed there
- the whole environment, from the sea water to temperature, is the same as outside

- lobsters are not sold off immediately after being caught
- they're kept in a tank for 2-3 days without food while waiting to be exported
- the water is kept betw 18-20 deg C (or even 8-10 deg C)
- the lobsters quieten down and are not so active in cold water
- they're then sorted according to sizes: small lobsters go into the small tanks and big ones into big tanks
- they're hard to sell as they're pricey (sold at US$400 each = S$560)

- 1-2 tonnes of these lobsters are exported every week (1 tonne daily during CNY)
- these lobsters reach their export destinations well alive
- Australian lobsters can live with little oxygen
- low oxygen level over a long period affects their survival rate
- facilities to boost the oxygen levels are installed

- lobsters are strong survivors
- long-distance transportation poses no issue either
- Singaporeans often complain lobsters are all shell with little meat
- 20% of a regular lobster is meat while Southern rock lobster is 50% meat

- dark red lobster has the best meat
- the Western method of cooking is to steam it, drench it in stock, fried it with butter and diced garlic, followed by a dash of liquor and salt
- never overcook the lobster (1kg of lobster takes only 15 min to cook)
- a tantalising and attractive dish with a faint liquor aroma
- the meat is chewy rather than tough, and even tender
- fresh food always tastes divine no matter how you cook it (including vegetables)