What do oysters taste like? It's quite difficult to describe. But it makes sense to try them. For some, one time is not enough to try it, but others immediately join the gourmets.

You will need:

Let's meet - the oyster!

There are more than 50 species of mollusks in the world. All of them are divided into 2 types:

1. Crassostrea (deep);
2. Ostrea (flat).

Of course, a person does not feast on everyone. Those that go on a gourmet menu inhabit the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.

Best views:

Belon

Most Popular. They have an iodine taste. Not for everybody.

Gilardo

Bred variety. Taste qualities do not change throughout the year. Fat. Not too salty.

Royal

Large ones. They are considered the most delicious. Suitable for preparing main dishes because they are very meaty.

White pearls

A little sweet. Soft. With milky taste.

Sakhalin

Huge sizes. Fatty. Iodine is concentrated. The meat is too fatty. Not too salty. These oysters are eaten raw.

Austalian

Low-fat. Small sizes. Lungs. Delicate.

Oysters live in salt water. And what’s interesting is that the quality and size of the mollusks depends on its concentration. The most ideal is for the water to be about 30 ppm. If this figure is exceeded, they will quickly grow to giant sizes with tough meat inside.

A classification by size has been established. They increase from 5 to 0. Zero mollusks can weigh more than 120 grams, ones - from 100 grams, twos - from 75.

The French grow especially giant bivalve mollusks. And they are sent to gourmet tables.

These are creatures without a specific gender. They can change their gender with the seasons. If in the first breeding season oysters function as males, then in the next season they function as females.

When is the best time to use

All year round. Previously it was believed that in summer these mollusks were unsuitable for serving. There was even a belief that they should not be eaten when the letter r does not appear in the name of the month. Just all the summer ones fell under this rule.

Why did they say this? In the summer heat it is more difficult to bring an oyster to the table unspoiled. But now there are refrigerators, there are no transport problems.

It just needs to be stored at temperatures up to 3º C. The nutrients existing in it will allow it not to spoil for up to 10 days.

And shellfish breed in the summer. During this period, there is milk in the sink. It could add a bitter taste to oyster meat. Today, on farms, this process can be delayed or eliminated altogether.

The taste will not depend on the time of year. Since wild shellfish are already rare, farmers are able to monitor their growth. The surrounding salt-filled water is also under control.

By the way, three-year-old oysters most often end up on the table. Therefore, they definitely lived through a couple of hot summer seasons.

Among mollusks it is impossible to do without exceptions. This is a very refined belon variety. The only place where it grows is Brittany. And there in the summer, as the sea temperature rises, the water blooms intensely. Then nasty bits of blooming algae can get into those “cream” among the oysters. In this case, the necessary amount of refinement of taste is lost.

How many oysters are in an average serving?

Such shellfish are served either 6 (half a dozen) or 12 pieces (a dozen). They are not weighed in grams or anything like that.

There is also a classic presentation. Oysters are served on a platter filled with ice.

In the center are lemon slices that surround the shells.

The drink should not interfere with the taste of the oysters. Only light accompaniment and emphasis.

Most often, you should avoid alcohol altogether when eating shellfish. But if you decide to combine this dish with wine, then champagne or white will be appropriate. Champagne "Brut". The wine is dry.

If you eat oysters in a restaurant, ask the sommelier for advice. He will suggest a suitable drink from the wines that are available.

The Irish serve clams with a cocktail of champagne and dark beer.

It's time to start eating

For now we say that oysters will be eaten by a right-handed person.

• With your left hand we take a clam from the dish. Turn the sharp end towards you. As usual, we take the knife with our right hand. Using a blade, we open the doors without any extra effort.
• The oyster is open. A thin, almost transparent film becomes visible. It is cut into a circle with a knife. We remove it, picking it up, and put it on our plate, on the very edge.
• Now it's time to take a slice of lemon. We will squeeze the juice out of it onto the oyster. A couple of drops will be enough.

This makes the oyster shrink all over.

By the way, this is how you can check whether this mollusk is really alive, as stated in the menu. If there is no reaction, then the oyster is already dead. We return the entire dish to the kitchen.

Now carefully suck out the oyster. No disgusting squelching or loud noises.

You can do it differently.

• Take a fork (special) and pry the oyster.
• Before eating it, place it in a vinegar-based sauce for a couple of seconds.

Like any expensive product, oysters are not an everyday gastronomic pleasure. However, there are enough fans of the dish. Every year, an average of 770 thousand tons of delicious shellfish are eaten on the planet. It’s all the more interesting to find out how to eat them correctly.

How to choose the right oysters

Exterior of the sink. Tightly closed doors indicate that the oyster is alive, while slightly open “doors” indicate that it is not worth taking. The heaviness of a closed shell is another indicator of the freshness of the contents.

Oyster sensitivity. After opening the valve, lightly touch the cilia of the soft mantle of the mollusk. If they waver, you can assume that the product is worthy of your attention. Too sluggish or, conversely, excessively mobile mass shows a deviation from the norm.

Type of mollusk. All oysters are divided into natural and artificially grown in sea water. They differ in size, taste, color, smell, but, without a doubt, they are all good. The most popular varieties are: “Belon”, “Sakhalinskie”, “Fin de Claire”, “Croes”, “4 seasons”. Shells grown in natural conditions may contain pearls.

Number. Oysters are divided by number according to size. 5 are the smallest (about 45 grams), 1 are the largest (can be up to 150 grams). The most popular sizes are 2 and 3.

Season. Oysters breed from April to August. This is not the best time to buy a delicacy. It may taste bitter.

How to open an oyster

Wrap the oyster in a kitchen towel to avoid cutting your hands.

Insert the tip of a sharp knife between the flaps and turn the knife slightly until it clicks.

Insert the knife deeper, pressing it against the top of the shell to avoid damaging the shellfish.

Run the knife along the entire length of the shell to cut the muscle that resists opening the valves.

When removing the top lid, hold the sink horizontally to prevent juice from spilling out.

With a gentle movement of the knife, trim the lower muscle attached under the oyster.

How to open oysters, video master class

The best way to open an oyster

Oysters and etiquette

How to serve oysters

For the convenience of customers, in expensive restaurants the shells are opened before serving.

Oysters are served with a knife and small forks.

Oysters are sucked from the shell, but this must be done as quietly as possible.

What do you serve oysters with?

What to cook with oysters

Oysters are one of the healthiest delicacies, but there are a fairly large number of dishes that are dangerous for humans. The editors of the site invite you to get acquainted with food for which people are willing to risk their health, and sometimes their lives.
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Information about the extraction of oysters takes us back to time immemorial - in the Neolithic settlements of people who settled along the coasts of the oceans, the shells of these mollusks are found in huge quantities. In Korea, Southern Primorye, and also in Japan, the length of ancient oyster heaps sometimes reaches hundreds of meters. In this article we will look at the most common types of oysters, a list of which is given below.

Varieties

Almost 50 species of these mollusks are known in nature, most of which can be eaten. They most often choose tropical seas to live, but there are several species living in the waters of the cold northern seas.

Oysters can be divided into two groups depending on the shape of their shell: flat, deep and round. Flatfish, which are most valued by lovers of this seafood, live on numerous shallows of the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. This species is represented by 4 varieties, each of which has its own unique taste, its own price category, as well as  external features.

Maren Oleron

These types of oysters in France have the same name as their habitat - the Marenne Oléron region, Charente province. They are the most outstanding representatives of this group of mollusks and have long been recognized by gourmets from all over the planet due to their surprisingly delicate taste. The main characteristics are the presence of almost round shells, as well as the greenish color of the meat.

Gravett

These oysters grow in the Arcachon basin. They are quite meaty, despite their small size, and also taste unsalted. Their shell has a greenish-yellow hue.

Belon

We continue to consider the types of oysters. The list would be incomplete without mentioning Belon. They also got their name from their habitat - a small coastal village located in the north of the province of Brittany. To date, almost all oysters grown in Brittany have received this name. Their distinctive feature is their grayish-white color, as well as the presence of a sharp iodine odor.

Types of oysters: fine de clere

Their name is given in honor of the cages where they are grown. The duration of this process is one month, while up to twenty individuals can be located on one meter at once. Special varieties of algae are used as additional nutrition.

Special

These types of oysters differ from the previous variety in their meatiness and greater density. Such qualities are obtained by keeping the mollusks in special cages for two months. 10 individuals live on one meter of area.

Croesus

These types of oysters are bred off the coast of Ireland and Normandy. Cold Atlantic waters have an interesting effect on the development of these mollusks, contributing to an increase in the density and fat content of the meat.

Blue shell

These oysters are bred and farmed in an interesting way. In the 2nd and 3rd years of life, they are transplanted into special pools filled with blue clay. This is done to enrich them with additional microelements (phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc) and vitamins.

Brittany

These types of oysters are grown on the southern coast of the province of the same name in France. Their unique feature is their rich, tangy taste with a slight metallic aftertaste.

White pearl oysters

When considering the types of oysters for obtaining pearls, it is worth highlighting this one. They have a graceful shell shape in which this mineral grows. Seafood connoisseurs also recognize them immediately by the pungent odor of iodine and the pleasant sweetish taste.

Khasanskaya

These oysters have a longitudinally wavy structure. The color range of shells ranges from snow-white to dark olive or burgundy. This mollusk is the most labor-intensive to obtain - it is obtained on underwater rocks, at great depths, in places with fast currents. Has a unique ratio of total weight to body weight. We can say that this is the most beautiful oyster of all.

Aniva oyster

This oyster can be called a delicate nature with a strong character. It lives on Sakhalin Island, near the village of Solovyovka, in Aniva Bay, which is how it got its name. This mollusk is so popular that neighboring Japanese periodically visit Sakhalin specifically for it. The deep, elongated, narrow shape of the shell, reminiscent of a boat, an interesting salty taste and soft greenish color distinguish it from other oysters.

Posyet oyster

Considering the different types of oysters, it is worth highlighting this one. It is very exotic because it lives on bioherms (underwater hills), the lower part of which is buried 10 meters deep in silt. Interestingly, when studied, the valves of the lower layers of extinct oysters were about 8,000 years old. This period coincides with global warming as well as rising sea levels, which has resulted in an increase in the growth of hills.

This oyster has the most unusual appearance. To be more precise, it is formless, so sometimes you won’t understand what it is. The weight of the mollusk reaches 1.5 kg. With an average weight of 600 grams, it reaches 25 cm in length. The airy light oyster has very tender meat, and also has a sweet taste and an unusually fresh smell. This gives it the right to be the standard of oysters.

Japanese

Queen of the Busse Lagoon on Sakhalin Island. The giant oyster lives at a depth of up to 7 m, in some places forming continuous settlements (oyster banks). The body of the mollusk is enclosed in an oval-wedge-shaped or irregularly rounded shell, white in color. The left (lower) shell valve - with which oysters grow to each other - is more convex in shape. Both valves have radial wide folds and are also covered with concentric thin plates.

The main habitat of mollusks is warm subtropical and tropical seas. Although in temperate latitudes, where in summer the water temperature reaches 16 °C, oysters are able to reproduce and live.

The main danger to these mollusks are starfish, some representatives of gastropods, and clyon sponges.

How to eat oysters?

Oysters are not only a traditional delicacy in a French restaurant: you can make an equally delicious dish from them at home if you wish. However, most often, live or frozen oysters are simply eaten as is. Let's take a closer look at how to eat oysters correctly. First, let's talk about how to choose them, because if you buy stale oysters, you can get very poisoned.

Selecting and preparing oysters

Choose oysters that are intact and whose shells are tightly closed. You can also find fresh oysters without shells. All such oysters should be plump, the same size and in a clear liquid.

Live oysters should be placed on ice, covered with a towel and stored in the refrigerator. Shelf life - no more than five days. Oysters without shells can be kept in a container with salt solution for no more than a day. Prepare a solution in a proportion of 0.5 tsp. salt per cup of water. However, if possible, oysters are best eaten immediately after purchase.

Before use, wash oyster shells to remove sand under running water using a stiff brush. Oysters should be opened right before eating or cooking. It is best to discard oysters with already damaged or open shells.

How to eat oysters: instructions

To eat an oyster, it must be opened correctly. Don't forget to check the freshness of the oyster:

• If the oyster is fresh, then the slightly open shell should tend to slam shut.
• Fresh oysters also react to acid. After opening the oyster, it is customary to drip a little lemon juice into it for taste. Observe how the oyster reacts to it. A live oyster wrinkles a little from the acid.
• In addition to the body of the oyster, there is also a special liquid inside. In stale oysters, it leaks out, and such oysters seem lighter in weight than fresh ones.

If you suspect that the oysters are not fresh, it is better not to eat them.

How to open an oyster

Frozen oysters are cooked immediately after thawing. You can cook them, but not longer than a minute. Frozen oysters lose some of their beneficial properties, but do not lose their taste.

Today, there are over 45 varieties of oysters in the natural environment. For living, they, as a rule, choose warm regions and settle in warm seas, but several species grow safely in the waters of the northern seas.

Each type of oyster is appreciated by lovers of this seafood delicacy. The online store "site" invites you to try fresh, various types of oysters at an inexpensive cost. We offer prompt delivery of fresh seafood delicacies. At your request, our experienced manager will be happy to tell you how to open an oyster correctly and accurately.

Varieties of oysters

1. Blue Pearl is a shellfish of New Zealand origin. They are grown in the crystal clear waters of the Pacific Ocean and perfectly convey the ecology and freshness of clean water. The reserves where this type of oyster is grown are subject to regular strict control by environmental services. We deliver high-quality, fresh oysters with full filling and the freshest aroma.

2. TONGYANG oysters are considered a royal delicacy that people from all over the world have already tried. Mollusks of this group are small in size and have a light shell. But despite their size, these oysters have a lot of meat, even more than some varieties of large shellfish. TONGYANG oysters obtain food for themselves by filtering sea water. They are rich in vitamins and minerals. Have time to appreciate their not very salty taste, but refined and incredibly pleasant.

3. Blue shell oyster is bred in an unusual way. In the second year of life, the mollusks are transferred to clairs, which are filled with blue clay. This is done in order to saturate them with useful microelements and vitamins.

4. Far Eastern oysters are brought from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and caught from their natural habitat. This type of shellfish is highly valued for its rich and bright taste, as well as the beneficial effects it has on the human body. It has been proven that this type of delicacy effectively soothes and strengthens the human immune system.

5. Solovyov oysters live in Aniva Bay and belong to the Sakhalin variety. This type of mollusk resembles tubes because they are narrow and long. The taste is quite rich and salty, so sometimes high-strength alcoholic drinks are served with them.

6. Oysters SPECIAL DE CLERE grow in the basins of France. Due to the specific characteristics of cultivation, each individual rapidly gains weight.

7. White pearls are vintage oysters. Their meat has a slightly sweetish, delicate taste and a fruity aroma. The mollusks received their beautiful name due to the incredibly beautiful shell shell inside. And also in some oysters of this species pearls of natural origin can grow.

8. SPECIAL DE CLERE – the delicacy is quite meaty, has a beautiful shell and has a dense consistency. When you taste these oysters, you will appreciate their delicate, marine taste. Connoisseurs note the aftertaste with barely perceptible notes of nuts. The main advantage of these mollusks is their ability to retain their properties for a long time.

9. Khasan oysters grow in the bay on underwater rocks. Shellfish of this variety are distinguished by their brightly rich taste and original aftertaste.

10. The imperial oyster has a slightly elongated, flattened shell. The color of the shell is snow-white. The taste gives off sweet vanilla. This type of shellfish will ideally complement citrus liqueur. The structure of the sink greatly simplifies its opening.

11. The Osaka oyster grows on the shores of Osaka Kamijima, a very beautiful, natural place located in Japan. The water area is connected to mountain springs and sea water. This circumstance has a positive effect on the taste and weight of the delicacy. The mollusks have a thin shell and are abundantly fleshy. Gourmets notice the amazing qualities of these oysters. Have time to taste such a divinely delicious delicacy.

Seafood products contain a large number of useful vitamins, micro and macroelements. Therefore, in the process of eating them, you will not only enjoy the unforgettable taste of the delicacy, but also saturate your body with useful substances, which in turn will improve the appearance of the skin, the functioning of blood vessels, the heart and have other beneficial effects.

The “site” offers exclusively fresh and nutritious oysters that are completely ready to eat. Bon appetit!