Many people, including Gourmet contributing editor and seafood guru Jon Rowley prefer eating oysters in the r months—from September through April. But there is something mighty appealing about sitting around an oyster bar on a sultry day with a dozen on the half shell and a glass of your favorite dry, crisp white wine or a microbrew.
These days, you can find good oysters in the summer; as mentioned in the magazine, some growers keep their oysters in deeper (colder) water so that they don't spawn and become oozy and bitter. And since the 1980s, scientists have bred oysters called triploids, which are sexless and can't spawn. You can usually tell a triploid by its adductor muscle, which is wider than those of oysters that haven't been fooled with.
Be aware that in hot weather there is a greater risk of warm-water-related bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus in West Coast waters and Vibrio vulnificus in the Gulf waters. Vp is unpleasant but not fatal; Vv can be fatal to immuno-compromised individuals. What happens if you get a fresh oyster that tastes like, well, sewage? That oyster was probably iced down too long or stored in ice overnight and is dying. It won't make you sick, but don't be shy about (politely) removing it from your mouth and asking for another. You can always ask for the shipping tag, which indicates the type of oyster, where it was harvested, and the shipping date.
Some oyster species travel and keep better than others. European Flats and, often, Pacifics, don't keep well as a rule; you wouldn't want to store them in the refrigerator for more than a few days. The other species are hardier. Don't let any oysters get dry; keep them draped with wet towels or seaweed.
Eastern (Crassostrea virginica): This species, indigenous to the East and Gulf coasts of North America, is now cultivated on the West Coast as well, and is generally harvested in three to five years. The oyster's flavor is not especially complex but does have a wonderful oceanic tang. The generic name bluepoint has come to mean any virginica; genuine Blue Points, from Long Island's Great South Bay, are practically gone.
Pacific (Crassostrea gigas): In the 1920s, the Pacific oyster was brought from Japan to Washington to replace the native Olympia, harvested almost to extinction. It's now the most common oyster on the West Coast and in Europe. Because Pacifics vary enormously from inlet to inlet, it's hard to describe their flavor, but they are generally plump and creamy, often with a faint cucumber or melon taste. Pacifics are harvested at anywhere between 18 months and two years; the older they get, the sweeter they are. (Perhaps there's a life lesson there.)
Kumamoto (Crassostrea sikamea): This small, deep-cupped oyster is native to the Kumamoto prefecture in Japan, where today it is now thought to be extinct. It, too, was brought to the West Coast in the 1940s to replace the Olympia, which had been devastated again, this time by pollution in the '20s and '30s. Sweet, buttery, and moderately briny, the Kumamoto is a raw-bar favorite.
Olympia (Ostrea lurida): The only oyster indigenous to the West Coast, this species was so popular back in Gold Rush-era California restaurants that it was harvested to the point of oblivion. Oystermen fought to bring the Olympia back, only to have it nearly wiped out again by pollution in the 1920s and '30s. Today supplies of Olys remain limited, although beds have been reestablished throughout Puget Sound. The tiny size of this oyster belies its robust, coppery flavor.
European Flat (Ostrea edulis): As the name suggests, these round, flat-shelled oysters are indigenous to Europe, where they are known by such legendary names as Belon, Marennes, and Colchester, after their growing locations. Today they are cultivated on both coasts of North America, where their names usually derive from their growing area plus the word flat, for example, Wescott Bay Flat and Hog Island Flat. European flats are meaty, with a complex, sweet, minerally flavor and a metallic aftertaste that you either love or hate.
Oyster bar menus can be overwhelming. We asked Jon Rowley for a list of some of the most reliable varieties.
Eastern (called virginicas by people in the know)
Caraquet (New Brunswick)
Fishers Island (New York)
Glidden Point (Maine)
Island Creek (Massachusetts)
Oysterponds (New York)
Rappahannock (Virginia)
Raspberry Point (Prince Edward Island)
Totten Inlet Virginica (Washington)
Watch Hill (Rhode Island)
Wellfleet (Massachusetts)
European Flat
Glidden Point Flat (Maine)
Snow Creek Flat (Washington)
Wescott Bay Flat (Washington)
Kumamoto
Humboldt Bay Kumo (California)
Oakland Bay Kumo (Washington)
Yaquina Bay Kumo (Oregon)
Olympia (Washington)
Pacific
Chef Creek (British Columbia)
Fanny Bay (British Columbia)
Hama Hama (Washington)
Hog Island (California)
Kusshi (British Columbia)
Penn Cove (Washington)
Snow Creek (Washington)
Stellar Bay (British Columbia)
Totten Inlet (Washington)
Umpqua (Oregon)
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