Celebrate National Oyster Day Every August 5

• By NSC
• 2 Comments.

 

 

Every oyster has its day … And that day is August 5, National Oyster Day.

Raw, baked, grilled, drowning in butter, or any way you prefer, the oyster reigns supreme at mealtime for this day. Just make sure you don’t swallow a pearl! (It’s unlikely).

We haven’t been able to discover who started National Oyster Day. Probably an oyster lover. Or an oyster farmer.

But does it really matter? If you love oysters, you’ll take any excuse to eat these delectable mollusks. And Oyster Day is a perfect one.

 

Oyster History and Trivia

Humans have been eating oysters for about as long as we’ve existed. We started farming them early, too—during Roman times.

Today we eat almost 2 billion (yes, with a “b”) pounds of oysters every year.

Many species of oyster have both eggs and sperm in one animal. So it can fertilize itself (but it doesn’t necessarily do so). No matter how the eggs get fertilized, the oyster will spew them into the water (millions of them at once) to fend for themselves.

Oysters make pearls by coating an irritant, like bits of shell or sand, with layers of nacre (calcium and protein).

But very few oysters actually produce a pearl. You’ll only find one in about 1 out of every 10,000 oysters. And the ones that do make pearls are not usually the ones we eat. The so-called “cultured pearl” is made by an oyster that humans put an irritant into.

Oysters taste like the water where they grow. This can range from salty to sweet and even metallic. Size varies too: In general, East Coast oysters are smaller (and saltier) than West Coast oysters, which are sweeter than their Eastern cousins.

They can even have fruity flavors. For example, according to Morro Bay, CA, you’ll get a bit of melon flavor in one of the oysters farmed there, the Pacific Gold Oyster. Another, the Grassy Bar Oyster, has a watermelon flavor.

 

Are Oysters Really Aphrodisiacs?

Supposedly Casanova ate 50 oysters every morning for breakfast. These were apparently the fuel for his amorous adventures with numerous women.

And Aphrodite rose out of the sea on an oyster shell.

These and other stories give oysters the reputation for being aphrodisiacs. But is there any truth to this idea?

Maybe.

A study in 2005 found that oysters and other bivalve molluscs contain a lot of two rare amino acids that can increase the amount of sex hormones in your body.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficial shellfishy holiday.

---

---

 

Celebrating National Oyster Day

As with all the food holidays, you must eat the day’s honoree. For this day that’s oyster.

And it’s never been easier to celebrate. Many, many restaurants get in on the act, offering special dishes and special prices for oyster lovers to feast on for National Oyster Day.

If you prefer to have your oysters at home, try a new oyster recipe (or two):

• Grilled or Broiled Oysters with Sriracha Lime Butter
• Grilled Oysters
• Pesto Oyster Rockefeller
• Angels on Horseback (yes, weird name, but amazing!)
• Oyster Stew
• Oysters Kilpatrick
• Stir Fried Oysters with Garlic

 

Other Oyster Festivals

National Oyster Day isn’t the only oyster celebration in the world. In fact, around the world you can find a variety of oyster festivals, often in the fall.

Consider:

Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival in Galway, Ireland: Join Galway City on the last weekend in September for tasting events, a Mardi Gras style gala, music, tasting events and oyster shucking championships.

Wellfleet OysterFest in Wellfleet, Massachusetts: Celebrate Wellfleet’s shellfishing traditions during a weekend packed with activities from cooking demonstrations and educational programs to arts and crafts, walking tours and more. Don’t forget the annual Oyster Shuck-Off competition.

St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival near Leonardtown, Maryland: This festival, held at the St. Mary’s County fairgrounds features oysters served in just about any way you can imagine, from raw to grilled, stewed and even in desserts.

Urbanna Oyster Festival in Urbanna, Virginia: Festivities include a parade, antique car show, wine tasting, oyster shucking contest, and more.

Falmouth Oyster Festival in Cornwall, England: This festival celebrates the start of oyster dredging season. It features cooking classes and demonstrations, a shucking competition and more.

If you’d like to try your luck in one of the many shucking contests but you need to brush up on–or learn–your shucking skills, check out this Guide to Shucking Oysters.

Find more festivals listed on the National Oyster Day website’s Oyster Festivals page.

How will you be celebrating National Oyster Day this year?

 

GoogleAd-NSC-Bottom (text-3)