How to Eat Oysters for the First Time: A Beginner’s Guide
So somebody talked you into trying your first oyster.
Now there is a small shell sitting in front of you filled with something cold, shiny and vaguely suspicious. Everyone else at the table seems to know what they are doing. You do not.
Perfect. This guide is for you.
At The Deck Down Under, we shuck nearly 50,000 oysters a year, so we have watched a lot of first oysters happen. Some people stare at them. Some ask for every sauce available. Some hold the shell like they are trying to disarm it.
And then, very often, they eat one and say: “Wait. That’s actually really good.”
If you have never eaten a raw oyster before, here is how to do it, what it should taste like, what that mysterious liquid is, whether you should chew it, what to put on it and what you should actually know about oyster safety.
And no, you do not have to pretend you were born in a New England oyster bar.
First: What Exactly Are You Eating?
An oyster is a bivalve mollusk, meaning it lives inside two hinged shells.
The oysters most commonly associated with the Chesapeake Bay are Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica. They are native to the Atlantic coast of North America and have been part of coastal diets for thousands of years. Archaeological research has found enormous piles of discarded oyster shells, called middens, showing just how important oysters were to people long before anybody thought about putting cocktail sauce on one. Smithsonian researchers have written about evidence of oyster eating going back thousands of years.
So if the oyster on your plate looks slightly prehistoric, that is because it basically is. Humans have been looking at these weird little things and deciding to eat them for a very, very long time.
How Do You Actually Eat a Raw Oyster?
This part is considerably easier than people make it look.
Pick up the shell by the deeper, cupped portion. The oyster should already have been separated from the shell by whoever shucked it.
Before adding anything, we recommend trying your first one plain. That might sound strange, especially when lemon, cocktail sauce, horseradish and mignonette are sitting nearby. But tasting it plain tells you what an oyster actually tastes like.
Bring the shell to your mouth, tilt it and let the oyster and its natural liquor slide in.
Do You Chew an Oyster or Just Swallow It?
Chew it.
You do not need to chew it 37 times like your mother taught you at the dinner table, but give it a few bites.
If you swallow an oyster whole, you miss most of what makes oysters interesting. Chewing releases the flavor and lets you notice the texture, sweetness, saltiness and finish.
Think of it this way: you ordered food, not a shot. There is no prize for getting it down your throat the fastest.
What Does a Raw Oyster Taste Like?
This is where oysters get interesting. Oysters from different waters can taste surprisingly different.
You may hear oyster people use words like briny, sweet, creamy, mineral, buttery, melon, cucumber, clean, oceanic or salty.
That variation happens because oysters are filter feeders and spend their entire lives interacting with the particular water around them. Wine people have terroir. Oyster people sometimes call it merroir, from the French word for sea. The basic idea is the same: location influences flavor.
At The Deck, we feature Chesapeake Bay oysters, which we like because of their approachable brine and balanced flavor. Learn more about our oyster program on our Michigan Oyster Experts page.
What Is the Liquid Inside an Oyster?
Do not dump it out.
That liquid is commonly called oyster liquor. It is part of the experience and carries a lot of the oyster’s briny flavor. When we shuck an oyster, we want to preserve that natural liquor in the shell.
A properly presented raw oyster should arrive nestled on the half shell with that liquid still surrounding it. Dumping it out before eating the oyster is a little like ordering soup and pouring out the broth. You can. We are just not sure why you would.
Should You Put Sauce on Your First Oyster?
Eventually, absolutely. But try at least one plain first.
After that, experiment. Lemon adds acidity and brightness. Mignonette traditionally combines vinegar and shallots and gives the oyster acidity without completely covering its flavor. Cocktail sauce brings tomato, spice and sweetness. Horseradish gives it heat.
There is no oyster police. If you love cocktail sauce, use cocktail sauce. If you want nothing but lemon, use lemon. If you eventually become the person loudly explaining oyster salinity to everyone else at the table, congratulations. The transformation is complete.
One important safety note: lemon juice, hot sauce and alcohol do not kill harmful Vibrio bacteria in raw oysters. The CDC specifically warns against that misconception.
So bourbon may make you feel more confident about eating the oyster. It does not sanitize it.
Are Raw Oysters Safe to Eat?
Here is where we want to be very clear because this subject deserves more than restaurant marketing.
Raw oysters are not risk-free.
Oysters are filter feeders. As they pump water through their bodies, naturally occurring bacteria and other microorganisms in the surrounding water can become concentrated in their tissues. One of those bacteria is Vibrio, which naturally occurs in coastal waters.
The CDC says anyone can become sick from eating raw or undercooked oysters. Most illnesses are gastrointestinal, but certain Vibrio infections can become very serious, particularly for people with underlying medical conditions.
That does not mean America has a seafood free-for-all. Commercial oysters are part of a regulated shellfish system. The FDA oversees the National Shellfish Sanitation Program with participating states, which establishes controls for harvesting, processing, shipping and identification of shellfish.
Shellstock tags provide traceability, including information about where and when shellfish were harvested. That traceability is one reason serious oyster restaurants pay attention to where their oysters came from.
At The Deck, our Chesapeake Bay oysters arrive alive, are kept cold and are shucked to order. Read more about why cold water, sourcing and handling matter in our cold-water oyster article.
Good sourcing, refrigeration and handling are important controls. They do not make a raw oyster sterile. The CDC says properly cooking oysters is the way to kill harmful germs that may be present.
Who Should Be Particularly Careful With Raw Oysters?
The CDC identifies several conditions that can increase someone’s risk of severe Vibrio infection, including liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, some immune-suppressing treatments and certain other medical conditions. See the CDC’s Vibrio guidance for current risk information.
People who are pregnant, older, immunocompromised or otherwise at increased risk from foodborne illness should follow their healthcare provider’s advice and public-health guidance regarding raw seafood.
Fortunately, liking oysters does not require eating them raw.
You Are Allowed to Start With a Cooked Oyster
Some oyster purists will tell you the only proper first oyster is raw. We disagree.
Your first oyster does not have to be an initiation ceremony.
At The Deck Down Under, oysters are available in several preparations, including raw, steamed, fried, char-grilled and Rockefeller-style preparations depending on the current menu.
If the thought of a cold raw oyster has you looking for the nearest exit, start cooked. Then work backward. There will not be a test.
What About the “Only Eat Oysters in Months With R” Rule?
Ah yes. The rule your grandfather probably told you. Only eat oysters in September, October, November, December, January, February, March and April.
Here is the funny part. This advice is really old. Researchers studying ancient shell deposits have found evidence of seasonal oyster harvesting going back thousands of years. Later, before modern refrigeration, avoiding oysters during the hottest months also made practical sense.
Today we have regulated growing waters, refrigeration, rapid transportation and modern shellfish controls. But do not turn that into a different myth. The CDC says oyster-related Vibrio infections can occur during any month of the year.
Why Do Humans Even Eat Oysters?
Considering their appearance, this is a reasonable question.
Part of the answer is simple. They taste good.
Oysters are also nutrient-dense. The National Institutes of Health lists oysters among the richest dietary sources of zinc. They are also a notable natural source of vitamin B12.
Then there is the experience. Eating an oyster is one of those foods that still feels connected to where it came from. You pick up an actual shell. There is seawater in it. The flavors change depending upon where it grew. It is hard to make seafood feel much more like seafood than that.
Are Oysters Really an Aphrodisiac?
We knew you were going to ask.
Oysters have had that reputation for centuries, and legendary lover Giacomo Casanova is famously associated with them. But science has never convincingly demonstrated that eating oysters creates an aphrodisiac effect.
So if you eat six oysters and suddenly become irresistible, congratulations. We are taking absolutely no credit for what happens next.
Oysters Are Also Surprisingly Important Animals
There is something else cool about the thing sitting on your plate. Oysters are natural filtration machines.
NOAA explains that oyster reefs provide habitat for fish and other marine life, while oysters filter water as they feed. Learn more from NOAA about oyster reef habitat and restoration.
So the little creature you just covered in horseradish has a fairly impressive résumé.
What Should I Order for My First Oyster Experience?
Here is what we suggest. Start with one raw oyster plain. Chew it. Actually taste it. Then try one with lemon or mignonette. Then try another with whatever condiment sounds good to you.
If raw oysters simply are not your thing, that is completely fine. Try steamed, fried, char-grilled or Rockefeller-style oysters instead. Finding out that you like oysters cooked still counts as liking oysters.
And if you discover that you love raw oysters? We may have created a problem for your wallet.
Fortunately, Thursday helps.
Raw Thursday at The Deck Down Under
Every Thursday at The Deck, oysters become the main event. Our Raw Thursday features Chesapeake Bay oysters served raw, fried or steamed for $1.25 per shell, beginning at 11 AM. Oysters are shucked to order, and we serve oysters every day as part of our seafood program.
Nearly 50,000 Oysters a Year Teaches You a Few Things
We call ourselves a Michigan oyster destination because oysters are not an occasional special at The Deck. We shuck nearly 50,000 oysters every year. They are served raw, steamed, fried, grilled, baked and dressed in chef-driven preparations.
More importantly, we get to watch people experience oysters for the first time all the time. The hesitation is normal. The questions are normal. Not knowing whether to chew one is normal. And deciding after one oyster that you are absolutely not an oyster person is also normal.
But there is only one way to find out.
Pick up the shell. Give it a try. And remember: chew the oyster.
We are trying to make you an oyster fan, not watch you do a shot.
Comments