Lobster thermidor with black truffle and pistachios. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Ordering a lobster while dining out may strike some as self-indulgent, but the country's connoisseurs eagerly welcome the crustaceans, even if it means flying the creatures from the United States, Australia or Canada.
Lobsters became popular in China early in the 1990s, after the country adopted the opening up and reform policy. By 1998, there were upwards of 10,000 tons of lobsters flown into Shanghai's Hongqiao airport every year, according to statistics from the municipality's customs agency.
In 2014, exports of live and processed lobsters from the US to China peaked at $90.5 million, 40 times of that of five years earlier.
Why? There is a growing awareness of seafood as a healthier source of protein than red meat. China's millions of middle-class citizens have increasing purchasing power. Finally, the aggressive expansion of e-commerce websites that offer fresh and frozen food makes it possible for more families to enjoy the once luxurious shellfish at home.
Seizing the seasonal opportunity, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Macao's second-largest hospitality and entertainment operator, this summer has launched its first lobster festival－likely the biggest seen in China. There are 35 lobsters dishes created by 25 chefs from restaurants across the group's three outlets－a raft of fine dining establishments with a combined 11 Michelin awards. About 13 tons of the crustaceans will be cooked and feasted upon, organizers say.
Lui Che Woo, the founder and mastermind behind the 1.1-million-square-meter Galaxy compound, says the lobster dishes created for the festival are mass-market priced, as restaurants in the group look to profit from the volume sold. Prices range from MOP 38 ($4.57) for a lobster-loaded sandwich, to MOP 380 for an almost basin-sized bowl of rice in lobster soup.
"Lobster is the most meaty among all crustaceans," says Antimo Maria Merone, executive chef at 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Macao, adding that the shellfish is sweet and delicate despite the hard shell.
