8 Modern Delicacies Once Associated With Poverty (2 of 5)

2. Lobster

Lobster is without a doubt the most notable example of a food that rose from trashy to classy. Once seen as the cockroach of the sea, some Massachusetts towns actually passed “cruel and unusual punishment” laws limiting how often lobster could be served to prisoners. Lobster was frequently used as fertilizer for crops or as fishing bait. But thanks to the emergence of the railway system and mastery of canning methods, people in landlocked parts of the US who were unfamiliar with lobster and had no idea that it was perceived as “low-class food” found it to be intriguing and exotic. Chefs discovered that when served drenched in butter, it tasted like luxury, and the rest is history.

3. Escargot

For centuries, the French peasantry thrived on hunger and desperation. So, it’s no shock that they saw the snails in their gardens and thought, “Yum.” They were plentiful. The preparation was simple: boil, add some herbs, and consume. They were a beneficial source of protein. And it’s not like they were going to make you chase after them. It really wasn’t until a notable French chef named Marie-Antoine Carême toyed around with the idea of stuffing the shells with butter, garlic, and parsley and then serving them to Tsar Alexander I that escargot transformed from a dish that was viewed as being on par with eating mud to being offered at the finest restaurants in Pa-ree.