Portland, ME — In a blind taste test run by the Wall Street Journal for National Lobster Day on June 15, Maine Lobster triumphed over its much-touted Canadian cousin from Fourchu, Nova Scotia. Two of the three impartial judges preferred Maine Lobster, while the third did not find a discernable difference between the two lobsters.
It should be no surprise to Mainers that their most prestigious crustacean prevailed on National Lobster Day. Last year had the highest demand ever recorded for Maine Lobster, with over 100 million pounds harvested in Maine and consumed in restaurants, banquet halls and backyards across the country and around the world.
The Maine Lobster industry supports approximately 4,500 independent lobster fishermen and numerous fishing villages along the coast. It boasts a 150-year tradition of sustainable fishing practices. Maine Lobster has strong brand recognition in the United States, with independent research showing that it is one of the top three seafood items branded on menus in the U.S., along with ‘Atlantic’ and ‘Alaskan’.
Fourchu lobster is harvested in the coastal waters off the town of Fourchu, located on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. The fishery supports 11 commercial fishing families. Dorothy Cann Hamilton, chief executive officer of the International Culinary Center, has family ties to the town and promotes Fourchu lobsters to chefs and restaurateurs in New York.
June is proving to be a good month for Maine Lobster competitions. In addition to prevailing in the Wall Street Journal taste test on the 15th, Maine Lobster was buoyed by a win at the the Tasting Table's annual Lobster Roll Rumble in New York City on June 7. The Clam Shack won the Fan Favorite Award for their lobster roll made with fresh lobsters caught in their home harbor of Kennebunkport, Maine. The Clam Shack was the only company from Maine competing in a field of 20 restaurants from around the country.
The Maine Lobster Promotion Council is a marketing organization founded by the lobster industry and funded by lobster license holders to market and promote the sale of Maine lobster to customers worldwide. The Council encourages the education and training of all customers in handling, preparing, serving, promoting and selling Maine Lobster.
Source: Maine Lobster Promotion Council
