Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
There are events that can be described as “the cream of the crop”. In this case it was more about the tail of the lobster, I was allowed to be there when catching the red king from the Oosterschelde. Because what a whopper it was that was fished out of the Zeeland waters. And then you should consider yourself lucky that you could be present!
The Oosterschelde lobster
But what makes this such a special animal? These lobsters have had to endure a lot over the centuries to survive in the waters of Zeeland. Lobsters thrive in a rocky area where they can hide. Now the Zeeland coasts are not that rocky at all and it was therefore a surprise for the fishermen to find these creatures in the waters. For example, the lobsters cannot withstand very low temperatures and the waters here are sometimes too cold for these critters.
But the Delta and waterworks on our coast have also ensured that the animal had to "invent" itself again and again in order to survive here. This has ensured that it has acquired a very special DNA. This has given the Oosterschelde lobsters a finer and softer taste.
The red king from the Oosterschelde: Opening of the season
This time the journey takes me to the picturesque Zierikzee. From the port of Zierikzee we sail with several boats through the Havenkanaal onto the Oosterschelde. On board we are spoiled with a nice bottle of bubbly and sandwiches and oysters are served as a foretaste of what will soon be the real lobster lunch. Patrick Laban, owner of wine importer company L'Execption, tells us the story behind the lobster wine 2019. A delicious Chardonnay from Chile. But there is also a newcomer and that is the Oosterschelde lobster beer. I don't drink beer myself, but I hear satisfied sounds around me. Arriving at the fish traps, the boats gather around the fishing boat and then the first lobster is officially removed from the water.
The red king from the Oosterschelde
And then it's time everyone takes a seat at the table and we are all served a delicious lobster. Here and there the scissors are cracked and I pick the meat out of the legs with my skewer. Nice and soft and perfectly prepared. Such good quality does not need much decoration!
From now on you can indulge yourself in various restaurants with this beautiful product from Zeeland waters. The season runs from April 1 to July 15. After that it is another year of waiting for the first lobster boats to set sail again.
Charity
After lunch, of course, the first lobster auctioned. Because how wonderful it is to draw attention to pancreatic cancer research in this way. The Casper Foundation can be very satisfied with the proceeds because it was the highest so far. A record amount of 50.000 euros was paid for the lobster. And that also brought an end to a beautiful day in Zeeland, now we are going to enjoy the red king from the Oosterschelde and I hope to be part of it again next year!
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The red king from the Oosterschelde
Yummy lobster!