Oyster Talk

Do the Oyster Lingo

MORE THE MERRIOR

Merrior is a word used to describe flavor of the oyster based uponthe location where it was grown. Tastes can range from some salty tofloral, some have fruity notes, mineral flavor or even hints of spice ormushrooms. Can you taste the difference?

Coined nearly two decades ago by Greg Atkinson, food writer for The Seattle Times, after slurping Pacific oysters, the term refers to the French word “mer” (which means “sea”). Combined with the suffix “-oir” (which usually denotes a specific place) the word provide a marine equal to the word “terroir”— an established term for the way environmental factors affect a crop, commonly used in tandem with wine or coffee.

Each waterway has its own selection of phytoplankton yielding oysters with different meat colors and flavors. Just like the well attuned vintners of the Rhone Valley, oyster connoisseurs are able to detect the subtleties of each bay by tasting the meat and observing the shell. Pacific oysters grown in Willapa Bay have a distinct merrior from those grown in Samish Bay.

Hood Canal oysters are claimed to be more briny than the sweeter cucumber flavored bivalves grown in Hammersley Inlet or South Puget Sound waterways.

Not all oysters

ARE CREATED EQUAL

There are over 150 varieties of oysters harvested and sold in NorthAmerica, yet they comprise a total of only five species of oysters.

Olympia

A native oyster to Washington State, the Olympia oyster is small with a metallic finish. The Olympia oyster fishery ran from the mid-1800s until about 1915. The oysters were harvested from shallow bays of southern Puget Sound and Willapa Bay until pollution and over harvesting caused a collapse of the wild fishery. Non-profits are re-growing Olympia populations.

Pacific

Native to Japan, Washington farmers began experimenting with Pacifics in 1904 and began importing commercial seed in the 1930’s. In the late 1950’s researchers began to study Pacific reproduction to reduce the dependence on seed imports. Since the 1970’s shellfish growers have relied on hatcheries for production to meet Northwest oyster

Virginica

CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA

The decline of the Olympia oyster prompted the import of the Virginica from the east coast in the early 1900s. The eastern oysters did not adapt well to Washington waters, experiencing large die off when transplanted. Despite this, there are still Virginicas raised in

European Flats

OSTREA EDULIS

With a smooth, round shell, shallow cup, and seaweedgreen color, Europeans have a bold flavor with a meaty, almost crunchy texture, intense mineral bite with a lingering gamey finish. Not many raise Flats.

Kumamoto

CRASSOSTREA SIKAMEA

Native to Japan, they are unable to reproduce in local waters so growers rely on hatcheries. The prized cup of the Kumamoto and its limited supply has growers working with Pacifics to meet half shell demands. Growers use tumble bags to force Pacific into a deeper cup. Oysters with names such as Kusshi, Shigoku, Sea Cow, and Blue Pools are the result.