Astakós (Greek)

Three of these giants were hauled out of the deep by sponge-divers (sfungarádes) from Kálimnos who came sponge-fishing round Naxos during the fortnight of calm weather (halcyon days) in November, in a tiny vermilion boat.

There is probably nothing in the crustacean world more delectable. At this improvised feast to which we were improbably invited, there were no forks, no knives, no plates, no sauces. The spiny lobsters, clawless and resplendent, were torn apart with the fingers at the kapheneíon table, to the shocked astonishment of the kapheneíon proprietor and passing Apollonians, and accompanied with bread and a 4-litre bottle, encased in wicker, of Apollonian wine that the Sculptor had had the foresight to bring along.