Residents of Maine have been angered as diners increasingly opt for a more lavish Connecticut-style lobster roll over their classic local recipe.
People travel from all over the world to try Maine’s lobster rolls, yet locals aren’t happy about the way out-of-staters have influenced menus.
The debate centers around one ingredient: butter. While Mainers are pretty strict, standing firmly by their chilled lobster rolls with a mayo accompaniment, Connecticut-style offerings, which are served warm with melted butter, have become increasingly popular in the area.
Co-owner Peter Bissell of The Highroller Lobster Co. acknowledged that out of the 70,000 lobster rolls ordered this summer, half were made with butter and half of those customers paid extra to have the meat warmed as well, according to the Portland Press Herald
Cold lobster rolls typically are served with mayonnaise, lemon juice, lettuce and other simple seasonings inside a split-top bun.
They are known to have a cool, creamy flavor which helps showcase the lobster meat’s sweetness and exquisite texture.
In contrast, Connecticut-style lobster meat is served warm in a toasted roll and either sautéed in butter or delicately coated with melted butter.
The heat gives the lobster meat a rich, buttery taste and a distinct texture.
Maine Lobster Week has officially started, sparking the age-old debate: are you team mayonnaise or team butter for your lobster rolls
Before the meat is placed inside a toasted split-top bun, it’s sautéed in butter or delicately coated with melted butter
And now, out-of-state guests frequently arrive expecting warm, buttered lobster.
This is mainly as tourists perceive luxurious lobster to be seasoned and dipped in butter, according to the Sun Journal.
Local shacks soon followed suit and modified their menus to avoid negative reviews and satisfy tourist demands.
One resident voiced their frustration about the shift on the Portland Press Herald website.
‘Tourists give negative reviews to spots that serve cold lobster. But warm lobster means it was heated up, altering its taste,’ they wrote.
They added: ‘Lobster shouldn’t be served warm, and it’s seafood, so you shouldn’t just leave it out all day to warm up naturally.
‘Tourists are used to bad lobster and envision it as the norm.’
Another user reminisced about when Maine’s local style was more prevalent.
People travel from all over the world to try Maine’s lobster rolls
Cold lobster rolls have a cool, creamy flavor showcasing the lobster meat’s sweetness and exquisite texture
Maine Lobster Week showcases the best of the state’s culinary skills
‘I remember eating lobster rolls with butter or mayo throughout Maine as a kid, albeit the meat was always cold,’ they said.
‘I’m talking about bean suppers, birthdays, weddings, you name it. To me, “warm” lobster is CT style,’ the user added.
Despite the pushback from some, for local business owners, catering to out-of-state preferences is simply good business even if it rustles a few feathers.
For instance, when Eventide Oyster Co first opened they didn’t even offer a butter option for their lobster rolls, the Portland Press Herald reports.
Their options were simple: one with tarragon hollandaise and one with dill and mayo. However, growing demand for butter-style rolls prompted the owners to rethink their menu and add a brown butter version, which quickly became a best seller.
Others have resisted the change, however.
At Bayley’s Lobster Pound, the co-owner Susan Bayley Clough says the original version is still the standard.
Over 80 percent of their lobster roll orders are Maine style whereas close to 15 percent of customers request butter.
The debate has extended beyond physical stores, however, with one TikTok user raging in response to the question: ‘Are you team mayo or butter?’
‘Real people from Maine like mayo and not added B.S.,’ they said.
In the interest of neutrality, one user said: ‘Cold meat needs mayo, warm meat deserves butter.’
As Maine Lobster Week showcases the best of the state’s culinary skills, the playful rivalry adds to the experience.
Whether you stand firmly with team mayo or side with team butter, there is no denying that fresh Maine lobster reigns supreme.
