Oysters, you can shove as many down your pants as you want, but make sure their fresh!

So how about Oysters...

There are really 2 major species of Oysters harvested in the United States. Virginicas (east coast) , and Olympias (west coast), and of course kumamotos which really makes 3 but, Kumo's for short; are from Kumamoto Japan. In which the Kumo seed was transplanted to the west coast.

All oyster species in the states branch from their ancestor the Virginica or the Olympias... Just like how one fish has one name to someone else, depending on where its caught. The same could be said about oysters.

For Example. Lets say there is a cove with 5 oyster farmers in it. Well Each of them are growing Virginicas, however each of them call their oysters something different. Like my friend Jay Schaffer, he rents out his own bed and calls his Oysters Shaffer city oysters... i think, or something close. While the next guy over is calling his oysters blue points, and the next Olympias, Island Creeks, and so on and so forth.

Now alot like wine oysters flavors stem from their surrounding water and conditions. Some oysters are set on poles and are actually out of the water during low tide. (Belons which are actually a French variety grown on the east and west coast now east being the best of the two) While other oysters benefit from creative farming, such as closing an inlet to let algee grow creating a different flavor in the meat. Temperature of the water also dictates flavor as well as texture and salinity of the creature as well. Cold water oysters are more plump and are meatier then warm water varieties.

Alright Quality of Oysters now ive had some nasty oysters and ive had some very tasty oysters. My favorite are the Kusshi oysters that taste alot like cucumber and watermelon... and not too salty at all.... Sometimes you open oysters and you see a pink creamy flesh... well that oyster is spawning. However you can eat a spawning oyster and suffer No ill effects. Just as long as you are buying your oyster from a valid source and it is closed most likely its safe to eat. Now ive had an oyster that i opened smell like a pile of shit the size of my work desk... a smell that wafted throughout the entire room, all though it looked fine from the outside. So if shellfish is bad you will know it. If it seems fine it most likely is.

And for all you "pearl divers" edible oysters don`t create pearls