WAIT, WHAT’S UP WITH ALL
virginica), Pacific (Crassostrea gigas), Kuma-
THESE DIFFERENT OYSTER
moto (Crassostrea sikamea), European Flat
NAMES? ARE THEY LIKE WINE
(Ostrea edulis), and Olympia (Ostrea con-
REGIONS?
chaphila). Within these species, oysters are
Sort of.
usually named after the bay or town that they
Like the five major Italian-American Mafia
hail from, like Totten Inlet Virginicas or New
crime families which dominated organized
Brunswick Flats.(W&T Seafood) Similar to
crime in New York City since the 1930s, there
the concept of terroir which roughly means
are five species of oysters that are commer-
“the food or wine you consume tastes of the
cially cultivated in North America.
earth it is grown in,” oysters are known for their ‘merroir,’ or the affect that the taste of
You can think of [oyster species] as wine
the body of water an oyster is grown in has
grapes, like a merlot or chardonnay, and
on the flavor of the oyster.
though the oysters will taste different
82
depending on growing practices and region,
WILL I ACCIDENTALLY CHOKE ON
there are some common threads between
A PEARL IF I EAT AN OYSTER?
oysters of the same species. The major
No chance! An oyster only creates a pearl
oyster species are Eastern (Crassostrea
when something really tiny, like a grain of