Slipper Lobster (Jungli Kikat)

Introduction

We bet very few people have actually seen a fresh Slipper lobster. This weird-looking lobster is a rare delicacy of the Arabian Sea. The tender meat, the richness of flavor, and the increasingly higher demand for the product itself have increased the commercial value. A lump of versatile meat, fresh Slipper lobster is used in any number of recipes that originate from all across the globe.

With a reputation that is rooted in gourmet cuisine, Slipper lobster health benefits are often undervalued and hardly even taken into consideration, but the nutritional value of lobster will make you reconsider how you look at this crustacean.

One of the highly prized and most expensive seafood items, Slipper lobster is always very high in demand and very limited in supply. Although they are not as large as spinny lobsters, they have thick meaty tails.

Flavor Profile

It has the sweetness of lean meat and the crispy goodness of the tendons’ fiber. Taste can vary depending on the cooking time and shelf life of lobster because lobsters deteriorate quickly.

Nomenclature

• English Name: Slipper lobster
• Local Name: Jangli Kikat, Riami Kika
• Scientific Name: Scyllarides tridacnophaga

Habitat

Slipper lobsters are normally found in shallow waters and seaward edges of reefs.

Catching Method

Slipper lobsters are caught using gillnets.

Physical Attributes

Body markedly depressed, with surface pubescent and granulate; carapace trapezoid, narrowing posteriorly, with weak branchial carinae and shallow cervical incisions;

Appearance

Slipper lobster is Pale yellowish-brown with the granules of a darker brown. The tips of the teeth are whitish. The tail fan is with a yellow tinge.

Size

On average, lobsters are 100 to 300 grams in weight, However other sizes are also occasionally available.