Emily the Oyster Girl

I am not an oyster connoisseur yet…but I want to become one.  This blog is my journey in becoming a full-fledged, identify an oyster by its shell and taste type of oyster expert.

I tasted my first oyster in Seattle, WA as a pre-teen thanks to my uncle and godfather, a food connoisseur in his own right. We were out to dinner at one of our favorites spots to eat when we would visit them, Chinook’s.  He is the type of person who seems to know everything about everything.  So, you know that when he ordered oysters,  you were about to be treated to a lesson in oyster eating.  I sat and observed the adults slurp the oysters down and discussing the flavor profiles like they were in this really cool food club; and I wanted in.  

I consider myself one of the most adventurous picky eaters you’ll ever meet.  Sea urchin?  Yes, sign me up!  But pleeeeeease do not put crunchy onions or celery in my food. No red things or green things or clear things or crunchy things was my mantra.  But tartare or sushi or escargot?  YES YES YES.  There isn’t much I won’t try as long as you keep the crunchy things away, especially seafood.  Give me all of the seafood.  I love food, eating it, cooking it, learning about it, everything.

“Em, do you want to try an oyster?”  DUH.  “Yes, please!”

The first one was probably a Kumamoto, we were in the Pacific Northwest, after all.  I distinctly remember that name, and it stirs up feelings of nostalgia when I think about them or see the name somewhere, so I’m betting on Kumos.  Plus, it is a pretty good choice for first-timers with their melony sweetness.  I don’t realize this as a 12 year old, obviously.  So, I’m handed an oyster.  Everything my 12 year old self knew about oysters (which wasn’t much)  was that you slurp them off the shell and swallow them whole.

“So, what do I do? Do I just swallow it?”  “No,” says my Uncle (and probably everyone else at the table), “You have to chew it to get the real flavor of it.”  So, I did.  And so it began…I don’t remember much else from that dinner except that moment, which in hindsight was probably my foodie coming of age moment.  And wow, I loved oysters.  The taste, the ritual, the entire experience.

Over the years, I experimented with different types of oysters, but it wasn’t until the last few years that I became serious and focused on learning as much as I can and trying as many different varieties as I possibly can…borderline obsessive.  So, that leads us here to this blog and my desire to become a better ostreaphile – a better shucker (many puns to come, I’m sure), taster, identifier.  A connoisseur, an aficionado, whatever other fancy sounding synonym to expert you can think of.  That’s what I want to become.