Some people have loved oysters since childhood. Some would never touch them. Some discover them as adults, and then can’t get enough of them. That last group describes me.
The first time I ate an oyster on the half shell, I had the usual fears. It would be slimy. It would sicken me. It was alive. (Cue echoes of “Alive, I tell you!”) But I’m an adventurous eater, so I slurped it from the shell. It wasn’t slimy at all. Instead a salty broth surrounded a luscious morsel that released sweetness as I chewed it and a metallic tang as I swallowed. After I got over my amazement, I said, “I can’t believe I’ve waited forty years to find out I love oysters!”
I also enjoyed A Geography of Oysters, by Rowan Jacobsen. It’s a fun book, very much his personal journey as he traipses around the country, tasting oysters and visiting the places they taste of. But it’s more fun listening to him talk about oysters on the radio. The book has a listing of resources, the best one being his own Oyster Guide. And once you decide you want to learn how to shuck an oyster, Moonstone Oysters offers an excellent video.
Now I could really use a half dozen Duxburies.
Tomorrow: Get back to work and write!
Writing Every Day 