Craving for lobster tails but on a tight budget? Try slipper lobster – it’s sweet, tasty, and all tail. The slipper lobster may not be as famous as their cousins, the spiny lobsters, nor the “true” clawed lobsters of the north Atlantic. They are, however, a fraction of the price, costing only PHP 500 to PHP 700 ($9.50 to $13.20) per kilogram in the Philippines compared to PHP 1,500 to PHP 6,000 ($28.40 to $113.50) for a kilogram live catch of spiny lobster. In short, the slipper lobster is a delicious bargain. Tasting somewhere between a clawed lobster and shrimp, the slipper lobster (Thenus orientalis) offers a good value on the seafood menu and is a sought-after local delicacy. It also holds a good potential of being sustainably farmed.

Dianala, R. D., & Armada, N. G. (2024, January 4-5). Researchers succeed in growing slipper lobster juveniles. Daily Guardian, pp. 1, 11.