CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine --- When it comes to Maine lobster, Kathryn Rolston is all about tails. She finds it easier to wrestle from the shell than claw meat, and more substantial.

For Gene Beaudoin, her lunch companion, it's the claws that make the meal. He says any extra effort to get at them is worth it because the meat is sweeter and more tender than tails.

"Plus, there are two claws," he said as they finished their lobster rolls during a recent visit to The Lobster Shack restaurant, which overlooks the cold, lobster-filled waters of Maine's Casco Bay.

"But I like the texture of the tail meat," she countered light-heartedly.

The arrival of warm weather in Maine means tourists won't be far behind, scarfing down the state's seafood at the lobster joints that dot the coast.

With that comes the perennial debate over lobster part preferences -- claws or tails.

In these parts, it's a question that can stir spirited debate, something akin to asking Southerners which kind of barbecue is best.

The North American lobster, Homarus americanus, is regarded as the king of shellfish.

Served whole with a side of melted butter is the traditional way to eat it, but chefs also use lobster meat in numerous recipes, from appetizers and stews to salads and pastas.

Much of the lobster is edible, including meat from parts that many diners never try -- the body, legs, even the tail flippers. By comparison, the tail and claws offer rich rewards for relatively little effort.

The tail meat generally is chewier and more fibrous than the claw. That's because lobsters flap them forcefully as a means of locomotion, said Brian Beal, a lobster expert and professor at the University of Maine at Machias.

The claw muscles are softer, because they aren't used as much or as vigorously as the tail.

The crusher claw (the larger of the two, used to crush things) generally is tougher than the pincher claw (used to pull things apart).

Mr. Beal prefers the tail to the claw -- he says it's meatier and more flavorful. The tail and claw have different tastes, he says, much the way that the different parts of other animals have diverse flavors.

"Why does bacon taste different than ham? It's different muscle tissue, that's all," Mr. Beal said.

True lobster lovers will tell you they like the entire lobster.

BAKED STUFFED LOBSTER TAILS WITH NEWBURG SAUCE

The tail is the meatiest -- and some say most flavorful -- part of the lobster. In this recipe, it is left in the shell and stuffed with the meat from other parts of the crustacean. Most grocers will steam or boil your lobsters for you. This is a great shortcut for recipes such as this. Some grocers even will remove the meat from the shells if you ask.

Start to finish: 1 1/2 hours (1 hour active)

Servings: 4

4 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dry white wine or sherry, divided

4 lobsters, cooked and cooled

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

8 Ritz crackers

8 saltine crackers

Heat oven to 350.

To prepare the sauce, in a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly, and cook until the mixture browns slightly, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the paprika, milk and 1/4 cup of wine or sherry. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Set aside.

Remove the meat from the claws and joints of the lobsters, then coarsely chop. Add the chopped meat to the sauce, mix well, then season with salt. Set aside.

Break the tails off the lobsters. One at a time, hold each upside down (underside of the tail facing up) and use a knife to carefully cut through the underside all the way to (but not through) the back shell.

Carefully split open the lobster tails and remove any veins. Arrange the opened tails in a baking dish, then spoon the sauce into each. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the remaining butter, the remaining wine and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until the butter is melted. Crumble the Ritz and saltine crackers into the mixture.

Sprinkle this mixture over the lobster tails.

Bake until lightly browned and heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes. If needed, broil very briefly to brown.

Recipe adapted from A Lobster in Every Pot: Recipes & Lore, Susan White, editor, Yankee Books, 1990

LOBSTER ROLLS

Lobster claw meat is generally softer and sweeter than the tail meat. For that reason, many chefs prefer claw meat for lobster rolls. The claw meat also could be combined with chopped tail meat.

Start to finish: 2 hours 15 minutes (15 minutes active)

Servings: 4

3 cups of chopped lobster claw meat (about 10 to 12 claws)

1/4 cup vinaigrette salad dressing

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/4 to 1/3 cup mayonnaise, more or less to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 frankfurter (top-split) rolls

In a large bowl, combine the lobster meat and salad dressing, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Drain the lobster meat, discarding any excess dressing. Add the celery and mayonnaise and mix well, adding more mayonnaise if needed to moisten well. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the rolls and toast, turning, until lightly browned on both sides.

Fill the rolls with the lobster salad mix.

Recipe adapted from Linda Greenlaw and Martha Greenlaw's Recipes From a Very Small Island, Hyperion, 2005