No, lobsters do not scream when they are boiled or steamed as lobsters do not have vocal cords or a voice box which are required for an actual scream. The screaming sound you’re hearing is a build up of steam inside the shell as the water heats and is looking for an escape.
The steam eventually locates the holes in the carapace (the body shell) and as it exits there is a noise that comes through which is what some people say is a scream. It is not a scream, it is physics. The sound is caused by the same reaction as a whistle on a steam boat or a coal train with heat escaping through a hole. Just like those whistles saying the vehicle is coming, the sound of a lobster’s whistle means dinner is on the way.
Fun fact: Lobsters do not feel pain and do not have brains or the nervous system needed to identify and feel pain the way humans do.
Want to learn more about the “lobster screaming” rumor and what goes into the process? Great, we’re happy to share.
The Steam Buildup to Create a Lobster’s Scream
The process that creates a lobster’s “scream” is:
- The lobster is dispatched into heat.
- Hot water and steam get inside the shell and begin to circulate.
- As the shell heats up, additional moisture releases from the muscles and gets trapped inside the shell turning into vapors.
- The vapors begin looking for a way to escape as the pressure builds and they find through tiny pores in the shell.
- The vapors pass through vibrating the shell creating a whistling sound.
Before a lobster is dispatched the temperature of the water in the pot has to reach 100°C (212°F), assuming you’re not at a high-altitude where water boils at lower temperatures. Immediately upon entering the pot the body begins heating up and the lobster’s shell acts like a thermal insulator trapping the heat and vapors inside. This causes pressure to build inside the carapace and shell.
The carapace is naturally porous and allows moisture to move through. As the steam travels through the pores and holes, it releases a whistling sound via vibrations that some people interpret as a scream. It is not a scream, it is a natural reaction to hot vapors escaping through a small hole. In fact it is the exact same process as a teapot on a stove top.
- The water heats up and turns into steam.
- The outside of the teapot is solid and traps the heat and steam vapors inside.
- Once there is enough steam it needs to find a way out.
- The top of the kettle has an opening and releases the steam and creates a whistling noise from the vibrations created as the expanding steam pushes through the tight opening.
When you hear the teapot whistle your water is ready for your tea leaves to marinate and extract the flavors of the tea. When your lobster pot is whistling, the lobster is ready to join in and flavor the water while it cooks.
Pro-tip: If you’re making a lobster pasta or rice dish, use some of the lobster water to flavor and season the dish, or try cooking the noodles and rice directly in it.
No, lobsters don’t actually scream when you cook them. They don’t feel pain like we do either. So don’t feel bad if you hear a whistle, get excited that you know dinner is on the way! And if you’re ready for a nice dinner, click here to order live Maine lobster direct from us.