Ever wonder who the brave person who first tried seafood was? Well, I can’t tell you their name but I can say that the earliest evidence of humans eating seafood occurred around 165,000 years ago in South Africa.
Since the first immigrant showed up on the shores of the United States, seafood has gained in familiarity. Most immigrants came from areas that seafood was a cornerstone of their daily diet. After arriving, most of these immigrants continued to enjoy foods that reminded them of home, giving more considerable popularity to seafood.
Lucky for us, we don’t have to our own fishing these days, and we can just join a seafood of the month club to get delicious, fresh seafood delivered to our homes. Easy!
Did you know, that during World War I, the government campaigned for Americans to eat more seafood and less meat? The idea behind this was so that more products could be shipped overseas to the troops. Unfortunately, this marketing ploy backfired creating a decline in seafood consumption.
Since the end of World War II, seafood has been making a slow and steady comeback. Then in 2017, the US per capita seafood consumption jumped to 16 lbs and has continued to be a culinary favorite to this day.
Nowadays, getting fresh seafood delivered from the ocean to your door is as simple as a click of the mouse. Since it couldn’t get any easier, why not treat yourself or a loved one to a delectable seafood of the month club? A seafood subscription box is a gift that will be affectionately remembered for years to come.
Seafood of the Month Clubs
- NEW! Rastelli’s
- Catalina Offshore Products
- The Fresh Lobster Company
- Sizzlefish.com
- Exotic Meat Market
- Ocean Box
- Vital Choice
NEW! Rastelli’s (Seafood Plan)
Rastelli’s is a bit different than other seafood of the month club in that they include other types of meat in their subscription box as well. Actually they also sell monthly subscription boxes for steak, chicken, salmon, and various mixed boxes.
Though Rastelli’s doesn’t focus on seafood, and seems to have limited options for what type of seafood they offer in their subscription service, (namely salmon, shrimp, and tuna), they do have some add-on options as well.
Add-ons include Icelandic cod, salmon burgers, Atlantic flounder, and Maine lobster tail.
Catalina Offshore Products
Catalina Offshore Products got its start in 1977 when Dave Rudie sold the sea urchins and seaweed he harvested from the comfort of his boat. Over time Dave was forced to find a bigger venue for his seafood sales and purchased a facility in San Diego.
Since then, Catalina Offshore Products continued to thrive and eventually became a globally recognized company. Although Catalina Offshore has grown far beyond its beginnings, they still sell California Uni (sea urchin), one of the original seafood products Dave sold from the very start.
In 2012, Catalina Offshore opened a Seafood Education and Nutrition Center, which also houses a fish market that is open to the public. Their online fish market includes a variety of seasonal seafood, that is both wild-caught and from fisheries. Almost 75% of the seafood sell is responsibly harvested and harvested.
Cataline Offshore offers a variety of live, fresh, and frozen seafood selections. Not all of the seafood is from the Catalina waters. The company imports its fish from all over the world and is now one of the largest fish importers in San Diego.
In addition to their standard fish market fare, they also offer a seafood of the month club. The subscription costs $120 per delivery and includes a variety of seafood, which is enough to feed four people. Each month the shipment will contain a seasonal selection that may consist of live, fresh, frozen, or cooked items.
Live seafood:
- Lobster
- Spot Prawns
Frozen seafood:
- Sushi grade products
Cooked seafood:
- Pasteurized Crab
- Smoked Salmon
Most of the seafood will be delivered fresh and should be enjoyed or frozen within three days from the delivery date.
The first Wednesday of the month is when shipments go out. Orders need to be submitted no later than the 28th to ensure delivery the following month.
The Fresh Lobster Company
The Fresh Lobster Company located on the southern tip of Massachusetts in Gloucester (Gulf of Main). Though their name indicates lobster, they do sell a variety of seafood including:
- Uni
- Shrimp
- Clams
- Seafood Chowders
- Pre-Prepared Foods like Lobster Mac and Cheese, Crab Cakes, and Oysters Rockafeller
- Fish
All of their seafood is shipped using FedEx Express and can be delivered anywhere within the continental US.
In addition to their wide selection of seafood, they also offer:
- Steaks and Marinades
- Lobster tools and accessories
- Gift Boxes
- Seafood of the Month Club
The seafood of the month club is available in 1-12 month subscription options. Prices vary based upon the month but, range from $129 to $219, and include shipping.
Each month the seafood selection changes, which is why the prices vary. Shipments are sent out on the first Wednesday of the month using an overnight shipping method to guarantee freshness.
When you place your order, you can choose which months you want a shipment to arrive. Each gift box will include:
- $10 Gift Certificate for future purchases
- Personalized greeting card
- Plastic lobster bibs
- Wet Naps
Add-ons are available, including items such as dessert, oyster crackers, or soup.
Sizzlefish.com
Sizzlefish is an online company that initially started as an idea that hit while out for a training run. Sizzlefish sells direct and ships to your door, the original company only sells to natural and premium grocery stores.
Sizzlefish offers a variety of fish and shellfish, all of which are vacuum-sealed, packed in dry ice, then shipped via FedEx Ground. Some of the foods they offer are:
- Wild Caught Alaskan Crab Legs
- Copper River Salmon
- Wild Caught Alaskan Halibut
- Wild Caught Jumbo Shrimp
- Sea Scallops
- Walleye from Lake Erie
- Crab Cakes
- Soft Shell Crab
- Calamari
- Smoked Fish
- Variety boxes
Not only are you able to order individual seafood options, but Sizzlefish also offers three different subscription boxes:
Sizzlefish Prime Box ($97.86/Box):
- 14 Servings per box – You choose the selection from a variety of fish, shellfish, and crab cakes to equal 14 servings.
Wild Seafood Favorite Box ($99.95/Box):
- 12+ Servings per box
- Sizzlefish will select each months box
- All seafood included is natural wild caught
Sizzlefish Prime Plus Box ($111.86/Box)
- Same as the Sizzlfish Prime box but has a more significant number of options available.
Exotic Meat Market
Exotic Meat Market headquartered out of Las Vegas, Nevada. As their name implies, they sell and ship exotic meats from around the world straight to your door. Some of the proteins they carry are:
- Alpaca
- Python
- Kangaroo
- Eel
- Nutria
- Alligator
- Armadillo
- Turtle
- Eland
- LLama
- Emu
- Coyote
- Camel
- Iguana
- Rattlesnake
- Beaver
- Bobcat
- Opposum
- Otter
- Yak
- Zebra
- Guinea Pig
- Racoon
- Frogs Legs
- Rocky Mountain Oysters
Also, different cuts of meat are available depending on the animal source, plus, organ meat, bone marrow, and many come in a variety of forms like:
- Sausage
- Ground Meat
- Hot Dogs
In addition to being able to purchase single meat cuts, they also offer an assortment of subscription boxes, one of which is a seafood box.
The seafood of the month club includes:
- Seasonal Seafood Selection
- Descriptive brochure specific to that month’s seafood options
- Recipes
What seafood you will receive each month:
- January – 2 lobster tails
- February – Jumbo Cocktail Shrimp
- March – Sword Fish Steaks
- April – Alaskan Jumbo King Crab Legs
- May – Alaskan King Salmon Steaks
- June – Shrimp Scampi
- July – New Zealand Orange Roughy
- August – Jumbo Sea Scallops
- September – Alaskan Snow Crab
- October – Cooked Octopus
- November – Alaskan Halibut Steaks
- December – Chilean Sea Bass
Memberships can range from a single month up to 12 months, prices start at $79.99 – $959.99
Ocean Box
Ocean Box prides itself on delivering your seafood within three days from the ocean to your door. The seafood they offer comes from both wild-caught and farm-raised sources.
They pack all of their products using 100% biodegradable, non-toxic gel packs. The boxes are made from 100% recycled material, and the liners are also equally environmentally friendly.
They have several different plans, all include free overnight shipping.
Box Size:
- Small $42 / Box
- 4 (5 oz) servings
- 2 Seafood Choices
- Medium $79 / Box
- 8 (5 oz) servings
- 4 Seafood Choices
- Large $115 / Box
- 12 (5 oz) servings
- 6 Seafood Choices
Shipping Options:
- Weekly
- Biweekly
- Monthly
Select your Seafood – Options include a wide range of fish (both freshwater and saltwater), scallops, and shrimp.
Last, you will choose your preferred delivery day.
All of their boxes fall under their 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you have any concerns about the product you’ve received, you can email them, and they will do all they can to ensure your satisfaction.
In addition to great seafood, Ocean Box also has an online blog where you can find out more about their seafood, cooking and preparation tips, and recipes.
Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics
Randy Hartness is the founder of Vital Choice Wild Seafood and Organics. However, before he started Vital Choice, he spent 20 years fishing the Alaskan oceans.
Vital Choice harvests its seafood from sustainable sources, then cleans and flash freezes the seafood within hours from when it was caught. They source their fish from either farm-raised or wild-caught.
In addition to flash-frozen fish, they also carry:
- Canned and pouched seafood
- Shellfish
- Grass-Fed Beef and Bison
- Pasture-Raised Chicken
- Bone Broths,
- Burgers & Hotdogs
- Organic Grocery items like flash-frozen berries, chowders, seasonings
- Omega-3 therapy supplements
Plus, they offer three different subscription boxes, 2 are just fish, but the third option is seafood. The box costs $199/ month and contains 17+ servings of a variety of seafood like:
- Various Seasonal Fish
- Shellfish
- Salmon Burgers, dogs, or sausages
The seafood subscription box is a month to month subscription. Each month you will receive an email for next month’s shipment so you can confirm, cancel, or skip the following delivery. Plus, you don’t have to worry about getting an unexpected seafood box if you fail to reply, Vital Choice will only ship if you confirm the order.
Slow Cooker Dong Po Rou
Gloucester is in Massachusetts, not Maine. It is located in the Gulf of Maine.
Fixed!