Lobster. From pauper to proper. A history.

The North American lobster is now a staple of high-end restaurants, and a cultural icon in the Maritimes and New England, but this was not always the case.

At one time lobster was considered a paupers’ food, something people were embarrassed to be seen eating because it showed that they were poor. It was fed to prisoners and slaves, used as fertilizers in fields, and feed for pigs.

At one point servants would stipulate in their contracts that they could not be fed lobster, just to avoid having to eat the hated shellfish. 

https://backyardhistory.ca/f/from-pauper-to-proper-the-story-of-lobster-in-the-maritimes