“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”
Ernest Hemingway, ‘A Moveable Feast’
Oysters! Do you love them? We do! Something tells me, though, that many of you have a very different opinion on this. Perhaps no other food creates such a dividing line – people either love them (like me) or detest them – and there aren’t a lot of in-betweens. Now, I will guess that many of you that say you hate oysters, have never tried an oyster. Which is a shame, because they are truly one of the most enjoyable foods we eat – and I hope to be able to convince a few of you to give them a try. I love oysters, in part, because of the way they express their terroir (pronounced ter-wahr) – the conditions under which a food is grown or produced that give it its unique characteristics. Terroir is a sense of place expressed through taste. This is a word that has historically been used to describe wines, but it has broader application to all foods. All natural foods that are grown or produced exhibit terroir. If I 
have a Chantenay carrot from two different farms, they will each have slight differences in flavor, reflecting all the specific growing conditions of each farm – type of soil, how often they are watered, type of nutrients, when they were harvested, etc. – even though they may be identical varieties of carrot. Will the differences in flavor be distinct? Probably not. For most foods, these differences are going to be subtle. But we live in a world where terroir is increasingly valued and celebrated. That’s why you see so much focus on highlighting terroir on menus these days – for example, these aren’t just any tomatoes in the salad, these are “Eckerton Hill Farms Heirloom tomatoes”. Yes, sometimes it gets a bit annoying with these lengthy menu descriptions. But with
oysters, almost more so than any other food, you really taste…distinctly…their terroir (well, I guess technically it’s their “merroir”). That’s what makes them so interesting and joyful for me – the ability to distinctly taste, in a single bite, the tiny part of the ocean that this little guy came from.
Now, I don’t want to bore you with a long history of oysters as a food. Rather, I’ll just bore you with more quotes! Jonathan Swift, that wonderful ironic 18th century satirist once said “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster” – and while that may be true, others quickly followed, because oysters have been an important food for maritime communities for thousands of years. 
While once the food of the common man, oysters today are, unfortunately, a bit of a luxury item. Go into any oyster or raw bar today, and you’ll likely see a chalk board or daily menu with anywhere from a few selections to as many as 15 or more selections of oysters. Malpeques, Wellfleets, Bagaduces, Duxburys, Bluepoints, Kusshis, Beau Soleils. Some of the 
names are intriguing – Lady Chatterly, or Fanny Bay (my British friends will love that one! Andy, Paddy, Chris!). It leads people to believe that there are hundreds of species of oysters out there – but amazingly enough, there are really only five food oyster species (Kumamoto; Pacific; Eastern; European Flats; and Olympia), and one – the Eastern Oyster, or Crassostrea virginica – makes up 85% of oyster consumption in the US. Take a look at the menu from the Grand Central Oyster Bar, the granddaddy of NY oyster bars. It’s from today – and I count 12 different East 
Coast oysters. Every one of those oysters is Crassostrea virginica, and every one not only looks different, but tastes different. The same characteristics apply to Pacific Oysters; European Oysters; etc. While the species may be the same, the shape, size, shell color, oyster texture and oyster flavor are going to be distinctly different depending on a dizzying number of variables associated with where the oyster was grown, and when it was harvested. In the US, most raw oysters offered are either East Coast, or Pacific (also called West Coast). Occasionally, Belons (European Flats) are offered, but these are almost always harvested from Maine, where Belons were transplanted from Europe in the 1950’s. While there are many flavor and texture variations, there are some generalizations about their physical characteristics and flavor profiles (I love that phrase!) – Pacific oysters are typically smaller, rounder, deeper, creamier, sweeter, with hints of melon or cucumber; while East Coast oysters tend to be larger, narrower, briny, crisp, with a slight mineral accent. 
In this picture, the Pacific oysters are in the middle -see how they look different? These are wide generalizations, of course – there is significant overlap. I will admit that I am an East Coast oyster lover– it’s not that I dislike Pacific Oysters – but I prefer the briny flavor of Eastern oysters to the (for me) slightly off-putting melony favor of West Coast. But aside from those generalizations, the variation is astounding. For example, on the other side of the Boothbay Peninsula from us is the Damariscotta River, one of the major oyster growing areas in Maine.
I’ve had the following oysters from the Damariscotta: Pemaquids; Glidden Points; Norumbegas; Wawenauks; Dodge Coves; Otter Coves; Browne Points; and Wiley Points. I’m sure there are even more, but amazingly, these 8 oysters are all grown within a 15 mile stretch of the Damariscotta River – and they all taste distinctly different! It’s the result of all the different variables that go into growing and harvesting the oysters. Salinity; depth of harvesting; depth of finishing; location along the river; current; etc. All these variations combine to produce a unique flavor. We live on the other side of the Peninsula, on the Sheepscot side. There are exactly zero oyster farms on our side, yet we 
are only 4 miles away, and the tidal waters that flow in both rivers is from the exact same source. Given that a significant amount of lobster harvesting occurs just off our dock, I thought it was strange that there were no oyster farms. I contacted Bill Mook, owner of Mook Sea Farms and a pioneer in Damariscotta oyster farming, to find out why. Bill suggested that the Sheepscot was just too cold to efficiently grow oysters. You see, oysters grow much better in warmer water – and it’s only in the last 30 years that aquaculture techniques to improve cold water oyster farming have allowed the resurgence of the Maine oyster populations. Whatever the reason, we are thrilled to be living so close to a thriving oyster fishery – when we have oysters in our local pub, we know they were likely harvested the previous day, within a few miles of our location.
So, let’s talk about what I think is the first hurdle that you oyster haters have to get over – eating them raw. This really frightens a lot of people. First, everyone has their story on someone getting sick from eating a raw oyster. Yes, it does happen, and, particularly for high-risk individuals (such as those with compromised immune systems), eating raw oysters may not be advisable because of the potential life-threatening consequences. That said, the general risks of infection in the US are very low, especially if you confine your oyster eating or buying to well known establishments with solid histories. There are risks from consuming many food items, ranging from undercooked meats (e.g. medium rare burgers) to raw eggs, and even unwashed spinach. 
But I don’t think the risks from eating raw oysters are so high that this should stop people from consuming them. While I love cooked oysters as well, to me, they are a completely different product. Steamed oysters dipped in butter are one of my daughter and I’s favourite foods on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. My wife and I absolutely love New Orleans chargrilled oysters (Acme, Felix’s, – we love them all!). But cooked oysters really lose that delicate flavor I love in raw oysters – that’s why cooked oysters 
are generally flavored up with other things (butter; cheese; Worcester sauce; hot sauce; etc.)
OK, if you can get past the idea of eating raw food (yes, I realize it’s raw live food!), some people struggle with the visual aspect. “They look slimy” said one of my friends (they aren’t). “They look prehistoric” said another (actually, they are). You need to get over it. Lobsters look like a giant bug. Have you ever eaten halibut? Of course, what a 
great fish. Do you know what a halibut looks like? Ok, not so scared? How about monkfish? Nice white, mild fish. Take a look – Pretty scary, right? 
Now, look at a raw oyster. It has a beautiful shell, with a glistening succulent morsel of moist meat in the center. Now smell it – does it smell fishy? No, and if it does, don’t eat it as its probably bad. Raw oysters have only a slight fragrance – the smell subtly of the sea. They smell fresh. If properly 
served, they will come on a bed of ice, and they’ll be cool (but not ice cold) to the touch. You’ll want to use the little fork they give you to make sure that the oyster has been properly separated from the shell – slide the fork under the oyster and just make sure it isn’t attached. Raw oysters are meant to be eaten in one bite – you don’t cut them up and eat them. When most people think about trying one for the first time, they’re a bit scared about what the oyster will taste like, and what the texture will be. As a result, they do what humans are evolved to do – they try to take a little test-bite first. Resist the urge to do this – you’ll end up with a mess, and a bad experience.
So, let’s talk texture. Surprisingly, you’ll find a fairly wide variety in the texture of oysters depending, again, on their merroir. They will range from soft, to compact and slightly springy. They are not, however, slimy – again, if you have a slimy oyster, it is likely that it’s bad. Now it’s in your mouth – do you 
swallow? Do you chew? That’s all about preference. I like to take a couple of chews before swallowing – but I promise that on your first oyster, your instinct will be to swallow quickly. That’s ok – it’s the fear factor kicking in. The important thing will be to just get over that first try. Finally, the flavor – everyone I know that has tried their first raw oyster has been surprised by how mild and wonderfully subtle the flavor is. You get a little brininess. It’s a fresh, clean flavor. It’s not strong; it’s not fishy. Too me, it’s almost like tasting the ocean breeze. Over time, as you enjoy oysters more, and you allow the oyster to linger a bit before swallowing, you’ll start to notice other subtle flavors – sometimes a mineral finish; sometimes a slight citrus flavor.
Accoutrements
Ok, what are these? Accompaniments, of course. You know – the little wedge of lemon; cocktail sauce; mignonette (pronounced min-yon-ette), which is the little cup of vinegary looking stuff you frequently get with oysters. First, I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to my accompaniments – a little spritz of fresh lemon, a little grate of pepper, or nothing at all. But at the beginning, you’ll do like many people – you’ll load up your oyster with cocktail sauce; extra horseradish; tabasco – again, I think it’s all part of overcoming the fear factor. People think there will be a strong unpleasant flavor, so they try to 
pre-empt it by covering it with something equally (in their mind) strong. The problem, ironically, is that the oyster has such a mild, subtle flavor that anything you put on it can quickly overwhelm the flavors. I notice that people do this with sushi as well. Do you? Come on, admit it if you do. I meet lots of people that say they like sushi. We go to the sushi bar. My first clue is their predominant focus on rolls – keep the fish safely tucked away beneath rice; vegetables; and sauces. Then the horrible habit of mixing a large wad of wasabi in with their soy sauce – so they end up with a sinus busting dipping sauce. The subtle 
flavor of the fish is nowhere to be found. The same can be found with people purporting to love raw oysters – you see them load up on cocktail sauce before slurping down their oyster. Yesterday, at the Grand Central Oyster Bar, we were enjoying some oysters and I noticed the guy next to us pile a teaspoon of raw horseradish on top of some cocktail sauce on his oyster! I guarantee that he got absolutely no oyster flavor in that bite – only horseradish. You’ll need to 
wean yourself down, however. First, let go of the tabasco. Then cut back on the cocktail sauce. Replace the cocktail sauce with a little mignonette. Replace the mignonette with just a splash of lemon. Then finally, one day, eat the oyster naked (well, ehm. I don’t mean eat it in the nude…I mean, do that if you want, but…ehm…never mind). By the way, mignonette is extremely easy to make if, and when, 
you finally decide to buy and shuck your own oysters (more on that in a moment). It’s really just vinegar (typically red or white wine vinegar), a little finely chopped shallot, and some fresh ground pepper. You can make it ahead, and it keeps for several weeks in the fridge. Old oyster aficionados in Maine like just a little grind of fresh black pepper on their oyster – and I’ve found that to be quite enjoyable as well (adds a little spice without covering the wonderful flavor).
Trying them at home
Ok, you’ve tried your first oysters, and you like them. You’ve cut down on the cocktail sauce and are really starting to enjoy the merroir. But at $3-$4 an oyster, you realize this is getting to be an expensive habit. I totally agree, but don’t blame it on the oyster growers. There is a whole chain of special handling to get that delicate oyster from the oyster farm to the plate at the oyster bar – harvesting; storing; shipping; storing; shucking; presenting. It’s a chain that adds cost. But if you are lucky enough to live near the coast, you’ll find seafood purveyors selling fresh oysters. Depending on the season and your 
location, you can buy these oysters for under $1 per oyster. Still a little pricey, but now within reach for most people to eat them regularly. You buy a dozen, and an oyster knife, get them home, and figure – how hard can this be? I remember getting ambitious on my first time buying oysters to shuck at home – I bought two dozen Blue Points and an oyster knife from my local supermarket. I got them home, washed them, and prepared to shuck. I had watched a couple of youtube videos – didn’t look that hard. An hour and half later I had finished shucking – I was exhausted; the kitchen was a mess; my palm was bleeding from several puncture marks, and the oysters 
were a disaster – little bits of broken shell and mud on almost every one. I began to appreciate the shuckers at the oyster bar – you get a plate of oysters, clean, glistening, no mud, or broken shells – and you realize why you are paying $3 per oyster! When we bought our house in Maine, we started going to a local pub (King Eiders Pub) in Damariscotta to have our oysters. I noticed that the woman behind the bar was using some type of contraption to shuck the oysters – a metal bar on a hinge, with a cutting point welded onto the bar. Aha!, I thought, this was the trick. It wasn’t technique! I wasn’t to blame for my shoddy shucking…it was my lack of professional equipment! A quick romp ’round google, and I found that I could buy just 
such a device – called an Oyster Jack – and check it out – Amazon prime as well! (Paula will tell you I am an Amazon Prime addict, and a lead donor to the Jeff Bezos “Make me richer” fund). Within a day I had my own professional oyster jack. I couldn’t wait to try it – Fisherman’s Catch (our local seafood purveyor) had Pemaquid Points on sale for $0.80 each – so I bought a dozen (I had learned my lesson on over-reaching with initial shucking attempts!), got them home, and assembled my Oyster Jack. It definitely speeded up the process. It took me a few disastrous times to get it right, but the device improved my ability to pop the hinge on the oyster (the hardest part of shucking). I cut down my shucking time to 20 minutes – but still occasionally ended up with broken shells. And there was still a bit of a mess. Finally, I watched a few more videos, and practiced on a few dozen (or more) oysters, this time using only an oyster 
knife – and I finally “got it”. My problem was in putting too much brute force to try to pop the hinge. It’s much more about technique – wiggle the knife point in, apply very slight pressure, slightly rotate the knife tip, and you will feel it pop open. Once you learn the technique, shucking isn’t so bad. I also learned to buy a shucking glove (knife proof gloves – Amazon prime – under $7 a pair) for protection. I may still use the oyster jack if I have a lot of people over, but with my technique refined, I only need a good oyster knife and a kitchen towel to shuck (almost) like a professional!
What to Drink
Anything you want! While that’s true, I find that oysters go best with something cold and crisp – and that usually means a nice beer, a sparkling wine (like Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco), or a still white wine. Again, like with accompaniments, it’s about not overwhelming the flavor of the oyster. For beer, you’ll want to stick to lighter beers – pilsners, or if you are lucky to find it near you, a Kölsch. Heavier, and hoppier beers are likely to linger on the palate and corrupt the taste of the oysters. For wines, we like a nice Cava or Prosecco, or a chilled white like a Sauvignon Blanc. While red wine is our general wine of choice, it’s not the best for accompanying oysters, for the same reasons previously stated.
So, I hope I’ve convinced just a few of you to try your first raw oyster, and if you 
do, I think you will be surprised by how much you like them. One of my nephews, Facundo (that’s him on the left), has a very narrow range of food he will eat – beef; pizza; pasta; no veggies. A few years ago we convinced Facundo to actually try an oyster. 
To the right is Facundo just after his first oyster. No, not really! – that’s clearly not Facundo. Actually, he overcame his fear and loved his first taste of oysters! (That is, however, what Facundo looks like after mistakenly eating green vegetables!)
Yes, they are expensive – but if you are willing to spend some time learning how to shuck an oyster, you can enjoy them at home for less than $1 per oyster. If you become obsessed with oysters as I have, you’ll start searching out the various oyster happy hours near you. These have become quite popular in NYC, and I can highly recommend Crave Fishbar’s oyster happy hour – the best in town. There are some “soup-nazi” style rules, but follow them, and you’ll get a wide variety of east and west coast oysters at $1 each (unlike many oyster happy hours which generally serve only Blue Points). If you find yourself in Portland, Maine, I encourage you to try Eventide – a fantastic oyster bar that (obviously) specializes in Maine oysters. Their unique solution to the problem of overwhelming the raw oyster with accompaniments is to provide a choice of flavored ices (really, these are special granitas) to accompany the oyster – so you get a little additional flavor without overwhelming the oyster. The abundance of local oysters is yet another reason why we love Maine. If you can get past your fears, and try that first oyster, you may, as we have, come to love eating oysters. We love them like we love drinking wine or eating cheese – because we can taste the terroir, or merroir, in the product. I’ll leave you with a quote from my high school years, from a book called “The Chosen”, by Chaim Potok.
“Merely to live, merely to exist – what sense is there to it? A fly also lives.”
Let’s do more than that – let’s have experiences that enrich our lives. So, go eat an oyster!
