My, how times have changed. The seductive crustacean that can empty a credit card today was regarded as mere “poverty food” in colonial times.

They were served “to children, to prisoners, and to indentured servants,” until the latter rebelled and negotiated contracts that stated they would not be forced to eat lobster more than three times a week. In those days, at least at the cannery, 4- to 5-pound lobsters were considered small and 2-pounders were thrown back.

This bit of history comes from the Gulf of Maine Aquarium. And who would know better?

Maine, whose name in front of the word “lobster” is like a seal of approval, is today’s largest lobster-producing state. But the Atlantic lobster, plucked out of the waters from Laborador to North Carolina, is regarded as the true lobster.

There are others of course—probably disdained as pretenders by Maine-landers. However, many tasty dishes begin with the southerly spiny lobster and tropical slipper lobster, or even the distant cousins known as crayfish, crawfish or crawdad.

Purists will limit accompaniments to melted butter or cocktail sauce. That is how it is served at Hank’s Steakhouse in Green Valley Ranch, where the weight of the thing all but causes the delivery cart to leave grooves in the floor.

Como’s at Lake Las Vegas transforms it into a memorable bisque. And rm seafood at Mandalay Bay poaches it in butter and then plates it with sweet corn veloute, corn pudding and white truffle foam.

And here’s one to try at home. In her book, Booty Food, Jacqui Malouf features Lobster Eggs Benedict as a perfect repast for the morning after.

The sensuous secret to this dish is letting the cooked lobster meat repose in a mixture of heated butter and Champagne. And then in traditional Benedict style, it joins poached eggs atop toasted English muffin halves, which are then blanketed with Hollandaise sauce.

Classically, lobster is also served as a cocktail appetizer, a New England roll (mixed with mayo, scooped into a soft bun), and Thermidor-ed.

This way, that way—it’s all good.

Oh, and about that green stuff, the tomalley. For heaven’s sake eat it, it’s delicious. (What is it actually? Don’t ask).

Some tidbits to sneak into cocktail conversation . . . The female lobster has a wider tail than the male (we know, girl, we know). A lobster has multiple mouths with different functions (who cares – just put some of its succulent bounty into yours, and soon.)

And if you just can’t get enough of the stuff, plan now to head west next fall for the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival, and feast away. Then wipe off the butter and enjoy the fest’s live entertainment, tall ships, and arts and crafts displays.

Lobster turns any event into an occasion. Still one has to wonder, who was the brave soul that ate the first one . . .

- By Barbara J. Nosek