Jolly Good Oysters
This summer I got a job at a nice restaurant that serves mainly seafood. It's known for being a fish house restaurant. In this restaurant, there was a bar for drinks and a bar for oysters. I became fascinated with the oyster bar and how cool oysters were. Oysters are kinda funky looking and aren’t very appealing to everyone. I find them to be very mysterious and odd looking which made me want to know more about them. Luckily for me, I was kinda forced to learn about them because we were all getting quizzed on the menu.
Here is a little of what I learned. There are mainly five species of oysters harvested in the United States. Oysters are located in the East, West, and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Crassostrea virginica, is an Eastern oyster that can be found throughout Canada, Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. In the same location that they are at Harvard, you can also find Crassostrea Gigas. Other popular two oysters are the European Flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) and Kumamatos (Crassostrea sikamea). What sets them apart is the waters they live in, the water they filter and how they are handled. Ostrea conchaphila is an oyster that resides on the West Coast.
Oysters filter 1.3 gallons of water in about an hour. They filter water through their gills, while they eat. Oysters also maintain the balance of the ocean's ecosystem, they do this by reducing the excess algae in our oceans. Differentiating oyster species result in the waters they’re living in. Oysters get their flavor from their environments. This being said because they filter so much water, their flavor stems from the salt level of their living environment. Oysters are known for containing lots of vitamins and nutrients. They contain zinc, magnesium, protein, and vitamin A. Including levels of vitamin B12 and iron. Oysters have many great health benefits and are also known to boost serotonin levels. I understand that the texture or look of oysters may not be very appealing but I highly recommend everyone to try them at least once! They are truly delicious and they contain many great vitamins!
Hi Iliana,
ReplyDeleteThe mere image of that oyster at the beginning of your post made me uncomfortable and think of the slimy texture. However, reading the entirety of your post was super fascinating and I had no idea how much information there is about oysters. Its crazy how much water they filter being so tiny! I have tried oysters once, but the very fishy taste made me spit it out. Im willing to try them again however, maybe at an oyster bar!! Especially for the health benefits, and maybe, eventually for the taste as well.
Hey Iliana,
ReplyDeleteI really like to eat oysters. I got to admit I am always scared of eating it because I read a lot about food poisonings. I never knew that the flavors comes from the oysters filtering water. Honestly this post made me crave some oysters. Put some salt, squeeze some lime, maybe some Tabasco hot sauce. Also this post reminded me of seafood poisoning of the oysters and they had to recall it a couple months ago. Overall, great post!
Hi Iliana,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post as it was very informative on the topic of oysters. I think I've only ever had oysters when I was younger but I am willing to try them out again sometime soon! I found it interesting how they filter water through their gills. To be completely honest I didn't even know they had gills or even filtered water. I think the amount of health benefits they provide is fascinating but like you mentioned, the look may scare some people off.
I enjoy eating oysters a lot. I must admit that after reading a lot about food poisoning, I am always hesitant to consume it. I had no idea that oysters filter water to create the tastes. Sincerely, reading this post made me want oysters. Recently, I started consuming more seafood, and oysters quickly rose to the top of my list of favorites. Served with lime and spicy sauce, they are delicious. Although it is dangerous to import oysters from anyplace, I would absolutely exercise caution.
ReplyDeleteHi Illiana,
ReplyDeleteI wish I liked oyster, but sadly I don't. So many people absolutely love them so sometimes I feel like I'm missing out. I like that you suggested that everyone should try it at least once, I think that goes for all foods. I still will try an oyster whenever offered one, but the taste and texture still haven't grown on me. But I love science of animals so it was so interesting reading your post and learning about the different types, especially that each kind tastes different according to the environment they come from and that's what gives them their unique flavors. Also really neat that they have so many nutrients and health benefits.