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
The Embarcadero carries at least six varieties of fresh
oysters most times of the year.
Selection and pricing varies - please call for current
availability
Pacific Oyster Varieties
The Embarcadero carries at least six varieties
of fresh oysters most times of the year.
Selection and pricing varies - please call for current
availability
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