Oysters are a fairly common and popular, but at the same time, mysterious product. Oysters are considered a seafood delicacy, so you will have to pay a pretty penny for them. However, even those people who are ready to spend money are not sure if oysters will be worth it: there are rather contradictory views in society about oysters’ taste.
What do oysters taste like? Oysters taste like fresh fish and are most often compared to salmon. Some people notice that oysters have a nutty, creamy taste or the taste of Beluga caviar. Oysters really do not have their own pronounced taste but rather acquire the taste of the dressing they are served with (lemon, butter).
What Do Oysters Really Taste Like?
Do oysters taste nice? Fresh oysters do taste nice. Even though oysters have become very popular, many people consider oysters tasteless or even disgusting. Oyster’s taste is unique and is very different from other seafood. The best way to tell whether oysters taste nice is to try them yourself.
The taste of oysters is as multifaceted and varied as the taste of wine. It depends on the region, the quality of the water and the conditions in which the mollusk lived. Oyster live for 2-3 years before catching. Some of the types may be ready for use after 1.5 years.
Oysters have different tastes at different times of the year, in different weather, in different areas of residence, depending on the type and the degree of their freshness. Everyone’s oyster tasting experience is different. Undoubtedly, the fresher the oysters are, the tastier and healthier they are. So, the best option for eating oysters is directly on the seashore or right in the boat.
For example, you can try fresh oysters on the coasts of Washington, California, Alabama, Maine, and others. If you want to travel abroad, the best destinations for oysters are France, Croatia, New Zealand, Australia, Scotland, and others. That said, you can find fresh oysters almost anywhere. The best oysters come, of course, from France.
How would you describe the taste of oysters? Some people compare the taste of oysters with beluga caviar; others consider them tasteless. But no one can accurately describe the taste of oysters, though agree on one thing — the taste of oysters is unique and unforgettable. The only way to figure out the real taste of oysters is to try yourself.
Why Are Oysters Bitter or Fishy?
Should oysters taste fishy? Fresh oysters should not taste fishy. However, they can have a subtle taste of salmon roe or Beluga caviar. Healthy oysters taste and smell mild, slightly reminding you of sea, fish and freshness.
Why do oysters taste bitter? Oysters might taste bitter in the summer during the breeding season. In summer, oysters produce caviar — a whitish milky liquid with streaks that gives a bitterish taste to oysters. Oysters are never bitter during the winter months.
Now there are already such technologies that will help to breed oysters that will not taste bitter even in summer. They are simply not allowed to multiply in the summer so that their bitter taste does not appear. When breeding, they have now learned to shift the growth cycles of oysters. It is also advisable to eat oysters in summer, which are delivered from foreign countries that have the opposite climate. For example, in Australia, where oysters do not breed during this period.
Raw Oysters Taste
There are many varieties and flavors of oysters, from nutty to creamy, from fruity to salty. Farmed oysters often have a more delicate flavor, but this does not mean that they are better or worse than wild ones. This is a matter of taste for each person.
The main thing is the freshness of the product and the understanding that modern transportation technologies allow keeping the freshness of oysters from New Zealand or Japan.
Farmed oysters, unlike wild oysters, live longer and are tastier. However, wild oysters’ meat has more meat as they are denser. Farmed oysters have no seasonality and can be eaten all year round, while the wild oysters’ season lasts from September to April.
Oysters have two main flavors: milky and sweet. European and Japanese oysters are small and have a milky taste. Sweet oysters live in southern Japan, as well as in New Zealand. Often in restaurants, oysters are served with sauces or at least with lemon.
The taste of oysters is greatly influenced by the amount of salt contained in the water; therefore, mollusks collected at a salinity of 20-30 ppm are considered excellent.
When you eat an oyster, along with its jelly-like meat, you also drink a certain amount of seawater. In the Adriatic Sea, which has a high salinity, the water is considered the cleanest and highest quality. It serves as a miniature seasoning for oysters, adding zest (it is not customary to salt raw oysters on purpose).
Despite the disagreements in the description of flavoring shades, almost all consumers agree that oysters have a rather peculiar structure and consistency. Oysters are a rather expensive delicacy. So, it is important to evaluate the pros and cons before buying.
Oysters are distinguished by size: No. 5, No. 4, No. 3, No. 2, No. 1, No. 0, No. 00. Where No. 5 is the smallest, and No. 00 is the largest. The most popular sizes: No. 3 (from 80 to 100 g) and No. 2 (from 100 to 120 g). However, the size does not influence oysters’ taste.
How do you make oysters taste better? To get the maximum pleasure from the taste of raw oysters, try to pre-chill them on ice. Chilled oysters should be sprinkled with lemon juice. This improves the taste of the oysters. They themselves shrink a little from the acid. To make oysters taste better, drink cold, dry champagne or white wine with them.
Oysters have divided the entire planet into three camps: those who love them, hate them, and those who dream of trying. They will not leave anyone indifferent. Oysters are a marine mystery, a gift from the oceans and are certainly worth trying at least once in your life.