Shell Game

Chilly temps; murky, muddy tidal flats; algae lazily flowing in and out with the tides: It’s winter in the Northwest. And it’s paradise—for oysters.

It’s not too shabby for oyster eaters, either. From the rocky beaches surrounding the San Juan Islands to the shallow backwaters and tiny inlets near Olympia to the tiny coastal town of Oysterville on the Long Beach Peninsula, where the scents of salt and sea never leave the air, western Washington is home to more varieties of oysters than anywhere else in the country. And as eager slurpers already know, most oysters are at their peak right now.  

Like so much else, oysters are a product of their environment. Every day, a single oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water, which is precisely why oyster farmers work so hard to provide each oyster species with ideal growing conditions. The area in which they’re grown, what they eat, how warm or cold they get and at what point they are abruptly plucked from their calcified shell homes all affect an oyster’s taste and size. Water temperature is key; oysters grow slowly in cold water, which makes them firm. But algae, tidal flows and the depth at which the oysters are grown all make a difference in their  flavor.

Most oysters are better to eat during the cooler months (September through April) because they spend their summers spawning. And even if the idea of eating an oyster midspawn doesn’t turn you off, the mushy, runny texture and bitter flavor of oysters during the warmer months definitely would. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, most notably Kumamotos, which are grown in colder, deeper waters throughout summer to keep them from spawning. The result: Kumos are at their best in the oyster off-season.