Oyster

Oyster

By Irma Guerra

Photography: León del pacífico

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“Why an” Oyster As we all know, protein intake worldwide continues to increase, many species have been overcaptured and on many occasions have been in danger of extinction; Therefore, the solution in some countries is carried out with aquaculture studies and projects, where an effort is made to develop different organisms to optimal levels, based on their individual characteristics. This sounds very simple to say but it takes many years to achieve success and many of the projects ultimately do not work out or there is simply not enough money to continue with them. The development of these projects in Asia and Europe has been carried out for many decades and in Latin America it is relatively new. Mexico at the end of the 19th century began with some of them starting in Baja California Sur and little by little they spread to more states, finally achieving massive interest in their production and development, thereby achieving at the same time helping nature by conserving and improving with quality the resources that it offers.

There are many species that are being marketed, but among the most effective is the production of Oysters. Many of the producers of this organism are found on the coasts of Baja California; as in Bahía de Todos Santos, Bahía Soledad, Bahía Falsa in San Quintin, Laguna Manuela, among others; They are the best due to their high primary productivity. In the 70’s, the commercialization of the Japanese oyster (crassostrea gigas), better known to us as the “Pacific oyster,” began and thanks to the efforts of many researchers, governments and companies, there is more and more interest in cultivating it. But what is an OYSTER? It is a bivalve mollusk; edible species for its nutritional value and is commonly known as OYSTER; An oyster called crassostrea is the one we know as Oyster and there are several types: ungulata (pleasure oyster) Virginica (mangrove oyster) Rhizophorae Puelchana Columbiensis Gigas Ecuatoriatis Its shells are formed by calcium carbonate and silica produced by the oyster itself; It feeds by filtering water (approximately 150 liters per day) carrying protozoa, eggs, larvae and small algae; Their respiration is through lamellar gills where oxygen is fixed and is subsequently expelled by the water, becoming carbon dioxide; It has a heart with a ventricle with two siphons that circulate water inside the mollusk; The organism remains closed thanks to its callus, which is a muscle that keeps its valves closed. OYSTERS are the FOOD WITH THE HIGHEST PROTEIN in the WHOLE WORLD; 85% of them are water, 15% are zinc, iodine, 3 fatty acids, magnesium and calcium. One oyster provides us with 150 calories, 0 cholesterol and 1 gram of fat; Its predators are starfish, urchins, snails,

octopuses, and bivalves, among others. When an oyster is grown, its dimensions are larger and its flavor is more intense, especially when it is grown in brackish waters and we have to take into account that in order to consume an oyster, between 8 months and 1 year 3 months must pass to be able to enjoy it; To obtain these organisms, some cultivation techniques are carried out, among which the following mainly stand out: -LONG-LINES -SHELVES -COSTLES IN BEDS The intention when explaining this to you; It is that they realize what type of organism they are consuming and what type of flavor they will find in them that now that they know the effort involved, “they value them a little more.”

THE TRUTH IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU THOUGHT! To conclude, I will tell you that Baja California is recognized, among other things, mainly for its gastronomy and among them the flavor of this Pacific Oyster makes it very proud; Seriously, I invite you once again to enjoy a good oyster in any of its presentations on your journey through these lands, whether in its shell, in cocktails, tempura, roquefeler, a la diabla, etc. I guarantee you will want to come back for more!