Oysters have long been a favourite among
connoisseurs of fine food, reputed to have health-giving and
aphrodisiac qualities. Oysters were so prized by the Romans that
they brought them from England, packing them in snow-covered
barrels.
The nutritional value of oysters is well-known,
with its prodigious vitamin and mineral content, and including
calcium, iodine, iron, potassium, copper, and zinc. Modern science
has credited the high levels of zinc in oysters with the aphrodisiac
qualities that have been attributed to them, finding zinc to
be a contributor to male fertility. The link with love has long
been an integral part of oyster lore, from the birth of Aphrodite
(i.e. Venus, from the sea on an oyster shell as depicted by Botticelli),
observations on its resemblance to female parts, to the reputed
daily fare of five dozen oysters consumed by Casanova to sustain
virility.
The high mineral content in oysters is derived
from the quantity of water that is filtered through an oyster
as it feeds, which also imparts the unique regional flavours that oysters
achieve from the specific areas in which they grow, apart from the
differences due to the species. There are two
major species of oysters readily available in Canada: the native
Atlantic oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) and
the Pacific oyster (C. Gigas),
originally from Japan. Oysters from the two major species
generally come from the respective coasts and are named for the area in
which they have been harvested. The Olympia oyster (Ostrea
Lurida), native to the North American
west coast, and harvested to virtual extinction, is now being cultivated
and are also named for the area in which they grow. Other oysters,
such as the Belon (the European flat oyster, O. Edulis,
named for its native French river of origin) and the
Kumamoto (C. Sikamea, named for
the Japanese prefecture in which it was first cultivated), are marketed
as a species and are generally not referred to by locale. We sometimes bring in a fifth species, the Rock Oyster
(Saccostrea Glomerata), native to
Australia and New Zealand, in the summertime.
Oysters during the R-less months
The old adage (only eat oysters in months
with an R) was good advice in the in the days when refrigeration
was unreliable, but is not as relevant today. It still applies,
however, with respect to oysters that spawn in the shell, which
tend to be thin and tasteless in the months in which they spawn
(directing their energies, as is wont, to reproduction rather
than self), and to situations in which warm waters prevail and
encourage the growth of bacteria which make oysters not good
to eat raw. At the Embarcadero, only oyster varieties from the cooler
waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific are served, with
California oysters available in the wintertime and southern Pacific
varieties available in the summertime.. Pacific varieties
are eliminated in unusually warm summers to maintain safety, and
in these situations, only Atlantic varieties and cooked oysters
are served.
The Taste of an Oyster
The subtle nuances in taste of oysters in
variety can really only be discerned au naturel - raw with a
squirt of lemon or with our Embarcadero sauce (a radish soy lemon
dressing that does not mask the underlying taste). Hot sauce,
horseradish and seafood cocktail sauce are also available to
suit individual preferences and are supplied on request.
The dry, acidic nature of champagne and traditional
method bubblies are the perfect accompaniment to oysters, as
are crisp, dry whites - Sauvignon blancs from northern climates
such as Canada and the Loire Valley in France. Lager beers with
a bitter character like our Becks on tap are also good complements
to oysters, although some prefer the heavier taste of Guinness
which has long been associated with European oysters.
Atlantic Oyster Varieties
Typical selection of oysters we bring in regularly, not all varieties are available at all times
prices at August 2008, subject to change
BeauSoleil $1.97
Neguac, New Brunswick
Suspension grown Atlantic oysters, plump , lightly salty, clean finish
St Simon $2.59
Shippagan, New Brunswick
Briny with a clean finish
Caraquet $2.59
Acadian Peninsula, New Brunswick
Wild oyster, sweet bitter aftertaste
St Simon $2.25
Shippegan, New Brunswick
Salty with a sweet bitter aftertaste
Village Bay $2.45
Richibucto, New Brunswick
A sweet bitter aftertaste, wild oyster
Malpeque $2.32
Malpeque Bay, PEI
The world famous Canadian oyster, salty with a slightly bitter lettuce-like flavour
Pacific Oyster Varieties
Typical selection of oysters we bring in regularly, not all varieties are available at all times
prices at August 2008, subject to change
Chef Creek $1.67
Baynes Bay, Vancouver Island
Salty-sweet flavour
Denman Island $1.67
Georgia Straight, BC
Effingham $1.67
Effingham Inlet, Barkley Sound, BC
Plump meat, briny with lettuce-like finish
Fanny Bay $1.67
Baynes Sound, British Columbia
Plump meat with cleany salty finish
Gorge Inlet $1.67
Cortes Island, BC
Plump meat, mild metallic flavour
Kusshi $2.76
Baynes Sound, BC
Smooth round shell, sweet finish
Malaspina $1.67
Malaspina Bay, BC
Okeover Arm $1.67
Desolation Sound, BC
Sweet, fruity cucumber finish
Royal Miyagi $1.67
Cortes Island, BC
Mild, smooth texture, kiwi-like finish
Sinku $1.92
Sunshine Coast, BC
Sweet, fruity cucumber finish
Skookum $1.77
Puget Sound, Washington
Plump, firm meat with a sweet flavour and a mild, fruity finish
Stellar Bay Gold $1.85
Baynes Sound, British Columbia
Plump meat, lightly sweet finish
Summer Ice $2.45
Sunshine Coast, BC<br>
Cultured in deep cold waters; sweet, firm texture, with a hint of cucumber
Penrose Bay $1.67
Desolation Sound, BC
Sweet, fruity cucumber finish
Rock Oyster $2.25
New Zealand
A distinct species native to Australia and New Zealand, this mild, sweet oyster has plump meat and firm texture.
Luna $1.92
Carlsbad, California
Delicate meat and crisp melon, with a salty cold finish
Olympia $2.12
Puget Sound, Washington
Native oyster, small deep cup, plump meat with a distinctive flavour
Westcoast Belon $1.93
Barkley Sound, Vancouver Island
This west coast version of the European flat oyster displays the typical robust and strong salt character, with a dry and metallic aftertaste.
Golden Mantle $1.67
Jervis Inlet, Sunshine Coast, BC
Sweet melon-like finish
Hama Hama $1.85
Hood Canal, Washington State
Salty and mild with a fruity aftertaste
Kumamoto $2.95
Various locations on the US Pacific coast
Small deep-cupped, sweet plump meat, originally from the natural beds near the Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, distinctly different from the typical west coast flavour
Hog Island $2.12
Tomales Bay, California
Gigamoto $1.85
Baynes Sound, BC
A cross between the Kumamoto and the Pacific oyster, plump and firm, salty
Evening Cove $1.67
Nanaimo, BC
Sweet, fruity cucumber finish
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