Why 6 Of The World's Priciest Seafoods Are So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business
Business Insider・2 minutes read
Expensive seafood types like Pearl Lobsters, King Salmon, and eels have unique origins, high prices, and face challenges like overfishing and regulations, making them delicacies in high demand with strict controls on fishing and distribution. The transformation of lobsters from prison food to gourmet status, coupled with slow growth rates and logistical challenges, has led to their high prices, with Copper River King Salmon and Pearl Lobsters commanding top dollar due to their rarity and unique flavors.
Insights
- Lobsters were once considered a cheap food source for the poor but transformed into a delicacy due to scarcity, leading to their gourmet status in Europe and North America, with prices driven up by their slow growth rate and distribution challenges.
- The high price of Copper River King Salmon is influenced by its dangerous fishing conditions, strict catch limits, and the impact of migration on flavor and size, with Alaskan salmon facing size decrease over the past 60 years, highlighting sustainability concerns.
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Recent questions
What are some of the world's most expensive seafood types?
The world's most expensive seafood types include Indonesia's rainbow-hued pearl lobsters, Spain's baby eels, Alaska's Copper River King Salmon, and Nigeria's Cod stockfish dried in Norway.
How did lobsters transition from prison food to a delicacy?
Lobsters were once considered prison food but transformed into a delicacy due to their scarcity and high prices, with only about four ounces of meat in a pound and a half lobster. Their status rose in Europe due to religious holidays and deep-sea fishing boats, while in North America, they were considered cheap and served to prisoners.
Why are Copper River King Salmon highly prized?
Copper River King Salmon from Alaska is highly prized, costing up to $120 per pound, due to their migration from freshwater streams to the ocean and back to spawn in the Copper River, impacting their flavor and size. Fishers face dangerous waters, high costs, and unpredictable fishing seasons, with strict catch limits to protect future salmon populations.
How has the price of Copper River King Salmon changed over the years?
The price of Copper River King Salmon has risen to $100-$120 per pound over the last five years, despite increasing catches since 1980. This increase is due to slow growth rates, susceptibility to diseases, and logistical challenges in distribution.
Why are eels in Spain highly competitive at auctions?
Eels, known as angulas, in Spain are highly competitive at auctions due to their mysterious life cycle starting in the Sargasso Sea and ending in Spain's rivers, where they transition from transparent to black. Regulations restrict eel fishing to specific months, with penalties for violations, as the European eel is critically endangered, leading to high prices and demand for real angulas.
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Summary
00:00
"Expensive Seafood: Lobsters and King Salmon"
- Six of the world's most expensive seafood types are explored, including Indonesia's rainbow-hued pearl lobsters, Spain's baby eels, Alaska's Copper River King Salmon, and Nigeria's Cod stockfish dried in Norway.
- American lobsters are abundant in Maine, with popular restaurants like those in New York City charging over $30 for a fresh four-ounce lobster roll.
- Lobsters were once considered prison food but transformed into a delicacy due to their scarcity and high prices, with only about four ounces of meat in a pound and a half lobster.
- Lobsters were historically a food source for the poor, but their status rose in Europe due to religious holidays and deep-sea fishing boats, while in North America, they were considered cheap and served to prisoners.
- Lobster's popularity surged in the mid-1800s with the advent of railway transportation, leading to its gourmet status and high prices.
- Catching lobsters involves using traps, with regulations requiring the release of undersized or egg-carrying lobsters, contributing to the high cost of distribution.
- Despite increasing lobster catches since 1980, prices remain high due to the slow growth rate, susceptibility to diseases, and logistical challenges in distribution.
- Copper River King Salmon from Alaska is highly prized, costing up to $120 per pound, with Fishers facing dangerous waters, high costs, and unpredictable fishing seasons.
- King Salmon's migration from freshwater streams to the ocean and back to spawn in the Copper River impacts its flavor and size, with Fishers facing strict catch limits to protect future salmon populations.
- Fishing for Copper River King Salmon involves using specific nets, facing hazards like loose mesh, and the need to catch enough to cover high costs, with each catch being highly valued.
16:24
"Alaskan King Salmon and Indonesian Pearl Lobsters"
- Kyle sells King Salmon to fine dining and sushi restaurants, as well as directly to customers across the country.
- Shipping salmon from Cordova to New York costs $65 for a five-pound box due to Alaska's remote location.
- The price of Copper River King Salmon has risen to $100-$120 per pound over the last five years.
- A 2020 study revealed that Alaskan salmon, especially Kings, have been decreasing in size over the past 60 years.
- Pearl Lobsters from Indonesia are valued at nearly $100 per kilogram, making them six times more expensive than other lobster varieties.
- Pearl Lobsters are found in the Indian Ocean and West Pacific, with Indonesia having the largest communities.
- Breeders like Meridian raise Pearl Lobsters in captivity, taking 18 months for them to fully breed.
- Indonesian government has banned the export of all Lobster larvae to protect wild populations and strengthen the country's Lobster farming industry.
- Stockfish, a crucial part of Nigerian cuisine, is imported from Norway due to the hot and humid climate making local drying impossible.
- The Nigerian government's regulations have made trading stockfish more challenging, impacting prices and exchange rates significantly.
41:31
Mysterious angulas: From sea to Spain's rivers.
- Eels, known as angulas, have a mysterious life cycle starting in the Sargasso Sea and ending in Spain's rivers, where they transition from transparent to black.
- Manolo, an eel fisherman, faces unpredictable catches, with the first night's haul being the most expensive, reaching 90 grams in one night.
- The eels are cleaned at the Riverside Market before auction, with a total catch of 1.4 kilos, significantly lower than usual, making the auction highly competitive.
- Chef Manuel, known for high bids, wins the auction with a record-breaking 7,280 Euros per kilo for the eels, which are a delicacy in high demand.
- Regulations restrict eel fishing to specific months, with penalties for violations, as the European eel is critically endangered due to overfishing and other factors.
- Despite the rise of imitation eels, real angulas remain popular, with high prices and demand leading to risks of overfishing and smuggling, threatening their sustainability.
