Pacific cupped oyster, Crassostrea gigas

Description

The Pacific cupped oyster (Crassostria gigas) is a bivalve marine species with a curved lower shell and a flat upper shell. It is considered native to Japan and South East Asia and occurs in water between 0 and 40 m depth. Oysters were farmed by the Romans during Antiquity, but the first oyster farm in South Africa was only established in 1948 in Knysna.

Origin

Woolworths obtains oysters  from two farms in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape Province. Here oyster farming is based on the grow-out of hatchery produced seed and grown in baskets suspended from longlines.

Attributes

Good, fresh oysters have a very subtle fish flavour, mostly tasting like the ocean. The meat is soft, with just a bit of a bite to it. They are a good source of protein, contain omega-3 fatty acids, and are rich in zinc, iron, selenium, and vitamin B12. Some vegans will eat oysters.

Cooking

Oysters are mostly eaten raw, but can also be baked, braaied, grilled, pan-fried, poached, steamed, stir-fried and smoked. When not eaten raw, they require very short cooking times – stop cooking as soon as the edges of the meat start to curl. Baked oysters with lemon, parsley and crispy breadcrumbs are a Mediterranean delicacy.