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How to eat oysters
The freshest and tastiest oyster is the oyster that’s just been expertly shucked and served immediately. A fresh, natural, succulent and delicious bite that makes you want to reach for another…
Once shucked and served, the oyster meat should be surrounded by the oyster’s liquor – the small pool of clear sea water in the bottom of the cupped shell. The oyster’s liquor is robust in flavour, and is essential to the oyster’s taste experience. Don’t spill it, or pour it out.
How to appraise raw oysters
The oyster is usually named from where it is cultivated and harvested.
Oyster connoisseurs can usually identify what area an oyster comes from by the appearance of its shell and/or its unique flavour.
Each oyster is unique, with its shell characteristics, and meat flavour influenced by its own ‘meroir’ (similar to wine and ‘terroir’), such as site location, waters (salinity, nutrients, temperatures, tides), climates, and seasons.
Oyster Appraisal Guide
Whenever we want to appraise and compare oysters, we use our Oyster Appraisal Guide, which includes:
Body and Finish examples
- Apple
- Avocado
- Bark
- Brackish
- Briny
- Buttery
- Celery
- Citrus
- Creamy butter
- Creamy cheese
- Cut grass
- Driftwood
- Fresh clean sea
- Green wood
- Herbs
- Cashew
- Copper
- Cucumber
- Earthy
- Lettuce
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mango
- Melon
- Metallic
- Mixed lettuce
- Nutty
- Ocean
- Parsley
- Pear
- Pecan
- Salted butter
- Salty
- Soy
- Tangy
- Tin
- Walnut
- Watermelon
- Woody
- Zinc
Nervous about raw oysters?
Most people who say they don’t like oysters, have never actually tried them.
If you’ve never tried oysters before, try the smallest raw oyster first. On first impression, the oyster meat will taste of the fresh clean sea. However, after a few oysters, you’ll start to notice and identify the succession of subtle flavour notes.
Or, try cooked oysters first…
Try our ‘Grilled Oysters with Herb Butter’ – always a hit! For a little extra indulgence try ‘Grilled Oysters with Blue Cheese & Whisky’. For a taste of Thailand, it has to be ‘Grilled Oysters with Thai Butter’. Almost all children love ‘Pan Fried Oysters’ or the classic ‘Fried Oyster Po’ Boy’.
For inspiration and ideas, browse our Oyster Recipes
