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Oysters-a shucking story!
A Shucking story!
It’s like taking a sip of the ocean-fresh, crisp, and slippery-oysters are quite an indulgence nowadays. However, the story of how oysters became so popular overtime is quite shocking. They have been cultivated since ancient times all around the world. Oysters were abundant and full of nutrients-they were farmed in beds along the coastal waters of the 7 continents. From France to Australia to Asia, the poor and rich alike devoured oysters.
Oysters in the New World!
In the United States during the 19th century, oysters were cheap and mostly eaten by the working class becoming the new “Junk Food” of those living near the coastal waters of New York. New York harbor became the largest source of oyster throughout the world. After years of cultivation- the story takes a turn for the worse. Furthermore, the rising demand exhausted the existing population of oysters. The used oyster shells were discarded in large amounts on the shores and coastal waters of New York Harbor causing the waters to become toxic. Eventually, this led to the inability for new oyster growth to occur. By the late 1920’s, oyster beds along New York harbor closed.
Oyster sourcing today!
Today, the care and time that is put into the cultivation of oysters is great. Oyster farmers will tell you what differentiates one oyster from another is………
-Oysters are filter feeders, their flavor and texture are influenced by rainfall, runoff, and the strength of the tides-
First of all, the quality of water that the oysters are farmed or in the wild will impact the oyster’s flavor. Secondly, it is very important to know where your oysters are from. Most fine dining seafood restaurants offer up the source of the oyster on the menu. At Catch 35 Chicago and Naperville, our oyster selection changes daily based on that day’s catch. Our menu lists not only the source from which the oyster was farmed or wild caught but also tasting notes of that specific oyster.
Oysters at Catch 35, Chicago and Naperville’s Best Seafood Restaurant!
Catch 35 offers a variety of East and West Coast oysters that change daily. Here are a few that you might devour throughout the year.
East Coast Oysters
Beau Soleil – St. Lawrence, New Brunswick
Size: Small, Taste: mildly briny, clean finish
Blue Point – Oyster Bay Harbor, New York
Size: Large, Taste: crisp and clean, light finish
Bras d’Or – Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Size: Large, Taste: a delicately balanced sweet flavor and sea brininess
Cape Cod – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Size: Medium, Taste: Briny and Buttery, plump meats, sweet finish
Casco Bay – Casco Bay, Maine
Size: Small, Taste: Very briny, firm, sweet meat
Cockenoe – Long Island Sound, Connecticut
Size: Large, Taste: coppery flavor, full-bodied, moderately salty
Copps Island – Norwalk, Connecticut
Size: Large, Taste: plump meat, sweet briny flavor
Daisy Bay – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Small, Taste: superior meat quality, salty taste, and sweet finish
Damariscotta – Damariscotta Esutary, Maine
Size: Large, Taste: salty, full flavor, clean finish
Delaware Bay – Stone Harbor, New Jersey
Size: Large, Taste: mild flavor, briny and sweet
Duxbury Prime – Duxbury Bay, Massachusetts
Size: Medium, Taste: Very briny, plump, sweet, buttery finish
Fat Baby – Long Island, New York
Size: Large, Taste: Meaty and Plump, medium salinity, sweet finish
Fire River – Richibucto, New Brunswick
Size: Medium, Taste: highly salty, sweet finish
De la Baie – New Brunswick, Canada
Size: Small, Smooth, mild, salty, hint of seaweed
French Kiss – Miramichi Bay, New Brunswick
Size: Small, Taste: medium body, sharp brininess, and mild sweetness finish
Glidden Point – Damanscotta River, Maine
Size: Large, Taste: Briny, meaty, briny, buttery, clean finish
Gooseberry Point – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Large, Taste: robust and briny, salty finish
Hummock Island – Westport, Connecticut
Size: Large, Taste: mid bodied, slight sweetness, medium brine
Katama Bay – Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
Size: Large, Taste: salty start, sweet finish
East Coast Oysters continued…..
Little Shemogue – Little Shemogue Bay, New Brunswick
Size: Medium, Taste: plump, medium salt content, sweet finish
Irish Point – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Small, Taste: clean, bright taste with crisp and sweet finish
Malpeque – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Medium, Taste: light bodied, balanced sweetness, mild brine
Mayflower Point – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Size: Medium, Taste: bright brine, bold mid-palate, long finish
Misty Point – Pope’s Bay, Virginia
Size: Medium, Taste: briny, earthy, notes of lettuce and grass
Montauk Pearl – Napeague Bay, New York
Size: Small, Taste: briny, mineral and white pepper front, medium-long finish
Moonstone – Point Judith Pond, Rhode Island
Size: Large, Taste: strong brine, full body, mineral with a long finish
Naked Cowboy – Long Island Sound, New York
Size: Large, Taste: strong minerality, bright flavor, highly briny
New Moon – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Medium, Taste: firm, meaty, mild brine, clean finish
Old 1871 – Fisherman’s Island, Virginia
Size: Large, Taste: robust, briny, celery and grass notes
Onset Bay – Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Size: Large, Taste: very meaty, salty, sweet seaweed finish
Pemaquid – Damariscotta River, Maine
Size: Large, Taste: sweet, mildly salty, almond-like finish
Petite Little Shemogue – New Brunswick, Canada
Size: Small, Taste: plump with firm meat, clean mineral sweet finish
Pine Island – Long Island Sound, New York
Size: Medium, Taste: rich brine, full meat
East Coast Oysters continued…..
Pleasant Bay – Orleans, Massachusetts
Size: Large, Taste: crisp, buttery texture, sweet finish
Plymouth Champagne – White Flat, Massachusetts
Size: Medium, Taste: light brine, sweet finish
Powder Point – Duxbury Bay, Massachusetts
Size: Medium, Taste: plump, salty/sweet with a clean finish
Riptide – Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Size: Large, Taste: Sweet and briny
Raspberry Point-New London Bay,Prince Edward Island
Size: Medium Taste: Crunchy meat with a gentle brine and sweet mushroom finish
Salten Rock – Barnstable Harbor, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Size: Small, Taste: firm meat, high brininess with a creamy finish
Salt Pond – Point Judith Pond, Rhode Island
Size: Large, Taste: meaty, high brininess, creamy & mineral finish
Savage Blonde – Prince Edward Island, Savage Harbour Bay
Size: Medium, Taste: plump and sweet, mild brine
Salutation Cove – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Medium, Taste: very briny and buttery, clean salty finish
Stingray Bay – Ware Neck Bay, Virginia
Size: Large, Taste: plump, sweet, and slightly salty
Summerside – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Medium, Taste: light sweetness, mild brine, and deep cup
Sunbury Point – Prince Edward Island, Canada
Size: Medium, Taste: medium salinity, long finish
Washburn Island – Cape Cod, Massuchetts
Size: Medium, Taste: Salty, full-bodied, and tannic with a clean finish
Wawenock – Damaricotta River, Hog Island, Maine
Size: Large, Taste: very salty, and full-bodied with a clean finish
Wellfleet – Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts
Size: Large, Taste: mild, sweet flavor, high brininess, and clean finish
Wianno – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Size: Small, Taste: plump, high salinity, clean finish
Wiley Point – Damariscotta River, Maine
Size: Medium, Taste: light texture, high salinity, and hint of watermelon
Great White – Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Size: Medium, Taste: Salty, full-bodied, and tannic with a clean finish
West Coast Oysters
Big Cove – Puget Sound, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: mildly salty and very sweet, melon-like aftertaste
Capital – University Place, Washington
Size: Large, Taste: crisp sea salt flavor, clean finish
Chef Creek – Baynes Sound, British Columbia
Size: Large, Taste: a nice medium briny, yet sweet flavor
Cranberry Creek – South Puget Sound, Washington
Size: Small, Taste: honeydew flavor, long lingering finish
Deep Bay – Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: Small, Taste: plump and sweet, mild brininess, light watermelon finish
Deer Creek – South Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: deep cup, full meat, crisp brininess, and clean finish
Discovery Bay – Discovery Bay, Washington
Size: Small, Taste: plump meat, briny sweet aftertaste
Effingham – Barkley Sound, British Columbia
Size: Medium, Taste: briny, smooth watermelon or lettuce-like finish
Emerald Cove – Vancouver, BC, Canada
Size: Large, Taste: Clean, mild flavor, Cucumber finish
Evening Cove – Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: Large, Taste: fresh, clean, mildly briny, watermelon finish
Fanny Bay – Bayne’s Sound, British Columbia
Size: Small, Taste: firm, mild brininess, cucumber finish
Fat Bastard – Willipa Bay, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: Firm meat, medium brininess, and metallic finish
Fish Point- Bellingham Bay, North Puget Sound, WA
Size: Medium, Taste: firm meat, medium brininess and a sweet finish.
Gold Creek – Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Small, Taste: mild, clean flavor with a light brininess
Hammersley Inlet – South Puget Sound, WA
Size: Large, Taste: intensely flavored with a cucumber and mineral finish
Hangtown – Kitsap Peninsula, Puget Sound, WA
Size: Medium, Taste: sweet, buttery, soft brine finish
Hollywood – Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: Large, Taste: meaty, medium saltiness, nutty finish
Humboldt Gold – Humboldt Bay, California
Size: Medium, Taste: meaty, medium brininess, sweet finish
Imperial Eagle- Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: Large, Taste: mild flavor, high brine, and cucumber finish
West Coast Oysters continued…..
Kumamoto – Humboldt Bay, California
Size: Medium, Taste: buttery texture, slightly salty, fruity finish
Kusshi – Deep Bay, Vancouver Island, BC.
Size: Small, Taste: sweet, light, and meaty with clean and delicate finish
Luna – Carlsbad, California
Size: Medium, Taste: delicate meat, crisp melon taste, cold salty finish
Imperial Eagle – Western Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: Small, Taste: high brininess, mild flavor, and light cucumber finish
Mattaki – Barkley Sound, British Columbia
Size: Small, Taste: perfect balance of strength, sweetness & saltiness
Midnight Bay – Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Large, Taste: strong brine, full body, mineral, and long finish
West Coast Oysters continued…..
Mirada Bay – Southern Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: mild flavor, sweet finish
Pacific Glacier – Denman Island, British Columbia
Size: Medium, Taste: mildly sweet, delicate fresh melon finish
Paradise – Nanaimo, British Columbia
Size: Small, Taste: soft meat, light brininess, crisp seaweed finish
Penn Cove – Puget Sound, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: crunchy freshness of a salty cucumber
Purple Mountain – Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: melon favor, metallic finish, and mild brine
Royal Miyagi – Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Size: Medium, Taste: smooth, mild brininess, kiwi like finish
Satori – Denman Island, BC
Size: Small, Taste: fresh, briny flavor with a hint of cucumbe
Shamrock – Willapa Bay, Washington
Size: Small, Taste: briny bite, clean, sweet flavor, cucumber and melon finish
Shigoku – Willapa Bay, Washington
Size: Small, Taste: briny bite, clean, sweet flavor, cucumber and melon finish
Snow Creek – Discovery Bay, Puget Sound, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: firm meat, mild brininess, iron and sweet finish
Stellar Bay – Deep Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada
Size: Medium, Taste: mild, clean, soft, and meaty
Sun Hollow – Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Small, Taste: sweet, plump, light brininess
Totten Inlet – South Puget Sound, Washington
Size: Medium, Taste: seaweed, subtle earth notes, and strong salinity
Sunset Beach – South Hood Canal, Washington
Size: Large, Taste: full mildly briny, crisp, clean aftertaste
Southern Hemisphere Oysters
Coromandel – Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
Size: Small, Taste: clean, briny, slight cucumber finish