There are oysters. How to eat oysters correctly - place an order

There is a not entirely correct opinion among people that it is not customary to eat oysters in the summer, since from May to the end of August they are tasteless and unsuitable for eating. This is also called the rule of months that do not have the letter “r” in their names. This myth has its own historical reason. The fact is that from May to the end of August, oysters have a breeding season, and in order to preserve the population, it was forbidden to eat them at this particular time. Quite a few years have passed, the law was lifted, and this rule became an interesting myth. Experts say that the best month for eating oysters is March, but this in no way means that at other times of the year they are inedible or unpleasant to the taste. Anyone who knows good food can eat oysters all year round. Another thing is how oysters are eaten, because it’s a whole ritual, full of secrets and subtleties.

So, today we will find out how oysters eat; This article will reveal important and interesting aspects of this process. Oysters are usually served cold (it is better to serve them on a platter with ice), you need to water them with fresh water in advance lemon juice. Yes, oysters, like any other raw seafood, it is necessary to generously flavor the juice of this citrus to give it great taste. As a drink, nothing goes better with these shellfish than dry, cool champagne. In France, it is customary to eat oysters with black bread, which is brought into the country precisely for this purpose!

How to eat oysters correctly? This matter is quite delicate and requires the use of some force and attention. The shell is taken with a napkin in the hand, or it can be held with the flat flap up on a plate. Invented for eating these mollusks special knife, which will help you easily open the sink and drink the contents. with his help? The knife must be squeezed into the gap where the doors are connected and turned sharply. You should hear a loud click. Follow safety rules, be extremely careful with the knife - it can jump out of your hands and injure you.

So the oyster is almost open. Now you need to slash the blade of a knife inside the oyster to cut the muscle with which the valves close so tightly. The oyster should not be turned over, otherwise the useful and useful material may leak out. delicious juice. Our oyster is open! It must be placed on crushed ice and sprinkled with lemon. If the product is fresh, then you will see with your own eyes how the oyster quickly shrinks from the acid that gets on it. It is also recommended, for easier consumption, to cut the lower muscle of the oyster so that it can be drunk from the shell in one gulp.

So, we learned how oysters are eaten. This information, you see, is necessary in order not to become a laughing stock at a party or romantic dinner, where a cold dish with fresh oysters. But it’s more pleasant to eat this seafood if we know its benefits. It should be noted that oysters are rich in zinc, and in addition, they contain such important human body trace elements such as iron, copper, oysters also contain vitamin B12. The combination of fatty acids in oysters is extremely healthy, including Omega-3.

Note to those losing weight: these shellfish have shiny meat, which is why at first glance they seem to be a very fatty product, but this is not so. They shine due to the abundant glucose content, and there are only about 60 calories per 100 grams of product. Therefore, oysters are not only very tasty, but also dietary product. Determining the freshness of a closed shellfish is very simple. One of the first signs of its freshness is the shell; it should be very tightly closed. If you find even a microscopic gap in it, then the product is most likely spoiled.

Today we learned how oysters are eaten. This knowledge must be used in order not to consider life lived in vain, since this is an incredibly tasty and healthy seafood.

I don't use this kind of stuff very often. sea food and more for entertainment, and not for a hearty meal. But once I even visited a place where, in general, the only food they had was " sea reptiles". Left hungry...

But actually how to eat oysters...

Nowadays, science knows about 50 species of oysters (lat. Ostreidae) - mollusks from the bivalve family. Most of them live in relatively warm seas. However, several species of oysters are known to live in cool waters northern seas. Oysters can live in colonies or alone. Their settlements can be found at depths from 1 to 70 m, both close to the shore and at a considerable distance from it (oyster banks). Oysters can exist in sea water varying degrees of salinity (minimum - 12 ppm). The degree of salinity of the water affects the growth time of oysters and taste qualities their meat. The best are considered to be mollusks that have developed and collected at a water salinity of 20-30 ppm. If the water is saltier (about 35 ppm), the oysters grow quickly, but their meat becomes tough.

The main commercial species is the edible oyster (lat. Ostrea edulis). They can be found off the coast of Europe, in the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Edible oysters are rock (O. sublamellosa), Black Sea (O. taurica), Adriatic (O. adriatica), Portuguese (Crassostrea angulata). In addition, “giant” oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are known - they are now the so-called “basic” breed of oysters grown off the coast of France. Oysters have shell shapes that are either flat or concave. The latter are most popular in Europe today. Although flat oysters are not forgotten either.

There is also a classification of oysters by size. These clams can be sizes No. 00, No. 0, No. 1, No. 2 and then up to No. 5. Oysters No. 00 are the largest. In addition, they are distinguished by the method of cultivation. There are oysters of the “full sea” - those that were born and grew in the sea before being harvested. There are also known “refined” oysters - refined ones, which spent part of their life in “greenhouse” conditions created by man.

Next, let's focus on the rules of eating oysters. The classic is to serve oysters on a tray of ice, arranged in a circle, for example, with lemon slices in the center. The number of oysters must be a multiple of six. Usually this is a dozen (12 pieces) or half a dozen (6 pieces). But options are possible: a lot depends on the size of the oysters, the size of the dish or tray, and the number of participants in the meal. Wine for oysters is always served white and dry. It can also be Brut champagne. Neither wine nor champagne should be too expensive - their task is to emphasize the taste of oysters.

Did you admire the blissful picture? Now it's time to destroy the oyster-ice beauty. Take the clam with your left hand and turn it towards you with the pointed end. In your right hand you should have a special knife, which should always be served with oysters. You insert it between the doors and push them apart. You will see a film in the middle of the sink; it needs to be removed. Carefully, in a circle, cut it with the same knife, pry it up and place it on the edge of the plate. Next, put the knife aside, take a slice of lemon and squeeze the juice directly into the sink with your fingers. By the way, this is done not only “for taste”.

The tradition originated in those days when oysters were still transported in tubs or barrels, and not in special chambers; transport was slow, and the shellfish could spoil on the road. If when lemon juice hits an oyster it shrinks, it is still alive and can be eaten. If nothing happens, the oyster is dead and there is no need to eat it. Actually, even today this method of determining the freshness of oysters can be useful. You can also season the oyster with freshly ground black pepper, dip in vinegar sauce, seasoned with shallots. Seasoned? Now quietly, without smacking, suck out the contents of the shell with your mouth. That, in fact, is the whole simple science of eating oysters.

By the way, in restaurants, so that customers do not bother themselves, in order to avoid funny and not very incidents, oysters, as a rule, are served already open, with the “attachment” muscle trimmed. So simply sprinkle with lemon juice and pop the oyster into your mouth; for even greater convenience, it can be served with a special two-pronged oyster fork.

If oysters are served cooked (and you can cook a lot of things from them), then they are eaten only with cutlery. Cold oysters are used as dessert utensils, and warm or hot ones are used as tableware.

There is a widespread belief that you should only enjoy oysters in the months whose names contain the letter “r” (September to April). Actually, this is true and not true at the same time. The fact is that at one time in France, in order to avoid uncontrolled fishing of oysters, which threatened their extinction, a law was passed prohibiting the fishing of shellfish during their breeding season. And oysters reproduce from late spring through summer.

In addition, during reproduction, the oyster produces milk inside its shell. When opened, it pours out, giving the meat a bitter taste. However, technologies for breeding oysters are now known, using which the mollusks do not reproduce. Experts have also learned to shift the breeding season of oysters by several months, so that in the summer they still do not taste bitter. And in general - when it’s summer in Europe, for example, winter in Australia - the oysters there don’t even think about reproducing.

Speaking about oysters, one cannot help but recall Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. He has a whole story called “Oysters.” It was the famous writer who can perhaps be considered the author of the legend that oysters squeak when they are poured with lemon juice before being eaten (in reality, nothing like that happens, of course). This is what he writes in his work:

“So that’s what oysters mean! I imagine an animal that looks like a frog. The frog sits in the shell, looks out from there with large sparkling eyes and plays with its disgusting jaws. I imagine how they bring this animal from the market in a shell, with claws, shiny eyes and slimy skin... The children all hide, and the cook, wincing with disgust, takes the animal by the claw, puts it on a plate and carries it to the dining room. Adults take it and eat it... eat it alive, with eyes, teeth, and paws! And it squeaks and tries to bite the lip...”

Well, is everything right? Or are you eating wrong?

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Oysters are one of the most famous delicacies that everyone loves and hates at the same time. This is a product that has acquired a lot of metaphors, myths and legends. However, if taste is an individual matter, then the rule of consumption is the same for everyone. Let's figure out how to eat oysters: how to open an oyster at home and how to properly eat oysters in a restaurant.

Hemingway and Anna Akhmatova even enlightened the lines of their works with this product. Ernest Hemingway wrote: “I ate oysters that tasted strongly of the sea, cold white wine washed away the slight metallic taste, and then only the taste of the sea and the feeling of a juicy mass in the mouth remained.” Akhmatova’s lines were more poetic and soft, they smack of romance so much that you want to bother your man right now and go eat oysters with him: “The sea smelled fresh and sharp, On a platter there were oysters in ice...”.

However, as long as the sea doesn’t smell and the wine doesn’t wash away the metallic taste, you can and should learn the theory of how to properly eat oysters in a restaurant or just in the company of friends.

How to open an oyster?

It’s no secret that you need to be able to open real oysters, do it with special ease and grace, and not struggle with the “opener”, splashing shell fragments on the table and, God forbid, pieces of your finger.

In order to properly open an oyster, you need to learn special accessories for this noble activity. There is a special chainmail glove and a knife with a limiter. They are needed in order to easily open the oyster and not injure your hand on the shell in the process. This is quite expensive equipment and only the most inveterate gourmets will need it for home use. But it’s worth knowing that this exists.

In “field” conditions, a simple knife is also suitable, but with a wide, short and flexible blade so that you can open the oyster.

The clam should be taken in your left hand and held with the flat flap facing up. Place the knife where the shell flaps meet and turn it like a lever. Until the shell clicked. After clicking, we draw the blade in the center and cut the muscle that holds the shell flaps.

We remove the oyster from the shell using a fork with three prongs - small in size and with a convex shape. The shells should lie on ice; if they are not going to be eaten immediately, then cover the oysters with a towel.

How to eat oysters in a restaurant

If the story about how to properly open oysters is a skill necessary for general development, but rarely applicable in the life of a high society person, then how to correctly order and how to eat oysters in a restaurant is a mandatory “skill.”

A restaurant usually orders a dozen oysters. However, according to the assurances of doctors, it is not recommended to consume such a quantity of oysters at one time - a rare stomach can withstand such a dose of protein (do not forget that shellfish are a protein in pure form).

Often the waiter opens the oysters right in front of the client and serves them open. If the oysters on your plate smell like the sea, then they are fresh.

And now important point regarding how oysters are eaten alive. After the oysters are opened, they are usually flavored with lemon juice - a few drops from a lemon wedge. Alive fresh shellfish reacts to acid and wrinkles a little - this is the most common test for the freshness and authenticity of an oyster. What can I say, aristocrats know a lot about perversions.

According to etiquette, oysters are served on round dish, in the center of which vinegar or wine essence, lemon slices and chef's sauce are placed. The sauce can be sour or spicy (the sauce depends on the mentality of the country in which you are going to eat the oyster). Sometimes black bread toast is added to the serving.

How to serve oysters in a restaurant

According to the standard, oysters are washed down with champagne - ideally it should be Brut or Prosecco. You can also sip a soft white wine, and in winter, drink a glass of vodka.

By the way, in the famous oyster bar— Harrods (London) will serve you both champagne and vodka with your oysters. So the rules here are vague.

Some facts

It's no secret that oysters are very useful product. They are rich in zinc, which is very important for men. Did you know that men lose up to three milligrams of zinc (that's a lot!) during ejaculation? And they lose.

In addition, it is believed that 5 medium-sized oysters contain daily norm iron, iodine, calcium, phosphorus and copper. There is also vitamin C, vitamins A, D and B.

Oysters are a very dietary product, containing 60 calories per 100 grams. But this does not mean that you can resist losing weight on them, but you are always welcome to arrange aristocratic evenings for yourself.

How to eat oysters in a restaurant video

Also watch our educational videos, which will show and tell you in detail how to eat oysters correctly.

Did you know that there is such a thing as “ oyster etiquette"? It was formed centuries ago and has reached us unchanged. The rules govern how to eat oysters in a restaurant. After all, it is here, unlike aristocrats past and present, that a mere mortal can try a seafood delicacy.

Briefly about the rules of etiquette

We are all familiar with etiquette to one degree or another. They regulate different aspects of a person’s life and help him to exist peacefully with other people. Naturally, a significant part of the rules concerns food intake. By the way people eat, we can draw conclusions about their upbringing. The flaws in it become especially noticeable when people visit the restaurant.

According to the rules of etiquette, dishes are divided into:

simple;
complex.

The gradation does not depend on the quantities of ingredients and the time spent on cooking. The classification was built around how a person would have to eat this or that dish. For example, French fries, schnitzel and pasta belong to the first category. The process of their absorption anywhere will not raise any questions.

But crabs, lobsters, crayfish and oysters are included in the complex group. Only those who are familiar with special rituals can eat them correctly. If you are not aware of such features, then with a high degree of probability you will get into trouble while dining at a restaurant.

How to eat oysters in a restaurant?

Let's assume that you have never tried this delicious shellfish and finally come to an elite establishment for new taste sensations. What is the correct way to eat oysters in a restaurant without causing laughter among visitors? We will share with you the secrets of this technique.

It’s a rare establishment that offers guests several types of oysters to choose from, so you won’t have any problems when ordering a dish. But remember that etiquette rules dictate the volume of shellfish ordered. The correct order would be twelve oysters. This quantity is quite enough for 2 people. The fact is that protein, which forms the basis of shellfish, does not always have a good effect on digestion.

Oysters are served in two forms:

closed;
open.

The latter may already be “old” and successfully disguise themselves as the freshest product. Therefore, we recommend choosing the first submission option.

Along with the oysters, the waiter will place several cutlery on the table:

three-prong fork;
a small spoon.

According to etiquette, oysters are laid out around the circumference of a large plate. The center is cleared for sauces and dried bread from rye flour. The waiter serves several types of sauces. Usually this is:

wine vinegar;
Asian hot sauce;
Chef's sauce.

The rules on this matter are quite vague. But an indispensable attribute in any restaurant is lemon. Its juice should be generously flavored with the shellfish before tasting. Now you can proceed directly to the process of eating an oyster:

pry the clam meat with a fork and spoon;
using the utensils, carefully and without haste, separate it from the sink;
take the sash in your hand and pull the contents into you;
the process requires silence;
do not slurp or attract attention to yourself by swallowing an oyster;
The juice collected in the sash can also be drunk.

After the first clam, take your time. Wait a few minutes, listen to your feelings, and only then proceed to absorb the second oyster.

Etiquette also regulates drinks served to exquisite delicacy. It is recommended to drink it with alcoholic drinks. Nutritionists associate this fact with main feature eating oysters - they are eaten alive. A sip of alcohol has a disinfecting effect and stimulates the digestion process.

Clam goes well with champagne and light white wines. It is important that they are dry or semi-dry. Such drinks highlight the taste of the delicacy and literally reveal it.

In the cold season, the rules allow replacement of lungs alcoholic drinks for vodka. You can drink no more than two glasses during a meal.

Remember that it is very indecent to eat more than six oysters.

How to eat oysters in a restaurant: photos and videos

If the process of eating oysters in a restaurant seems complicated to you, then look at all the photos again. They clearly illustrate the process.

If two people are far from each other haute cuisine, come to a restaurant for dinner and order oysters for the first time - a memorable evening is guaranteed. But not for the gourmets sitting next to you. While inexperienced eaters try to scoop the slippery substance into a teaspoon, while simultaneously dipping the toast into oyster juice, the subtle natures of aesthetes contemplate all this in a semi-fainting state. This article will clearly explain the basics of oyster etiquette.

How to eat oysters?

When a dish with a delicacy is already on the table, you should remember that oysters do not like cutlery. True connoisseurs They swallow them straight from the sink without any forks or spoons. Why then does the waiter present a tiny fork to restaurant visitors? In the case of oysters, it is only an aid to determine whether the meat has separated from the outer shell. You can also use a fork to move the shallots from the mignonette sauce into the shell, as is the European tradition. This allows you to enjoy pure, undiluted flavors, leaving the spices and seasonings for snacking. If oysters without accompaniment do not excite your appetite, you should proceed step by step: sprinkle the pulp with lemon juice, a drop of cocktail sauce and add a little fresh horseradish.

Typically, oysters in restaurants should be eaten like this:

Stir the oyster meat in the liquid-filled shell.
Put down the fork, bring the shell to your mouth and tilt it with its wide edges so that its contents are gently sent towards the taste buds.
Chew the oyster a couple of times and swallow.
Sip the remaining juice to finish your meal with a deep, rich finish.

If you get to know the delicacy at home, it is important to know a few nuances in order to facilitate and speed up the preparation process.

A freshly opened oyster has a concentrated sweet-salty flavor, which is quickly lost if the shell is opened prematurely. There's no point in picking up a knife if the oysters are still waiting their turn.

Before opening, each oyster must be cleaned and rinsed under running cold water.

Protect your palm with a towel or oven mitt. Place the oyster on a flat surface and secure with your hand. Insert the end of the oyster knife into the slot and move it up and down, as if prying up a shell.

Carefully trim the muscle by sliding the knife horizontally between the valves and open the shell. Run a knife under the oyster meat, separating it from the bottom. Use a clean finger to remove any loose shell pieces.

For the feeling true taste lightly stir the pulp into the juice and serve immediately.

Tips for those who want to taste quality oysters in an establishment:

How to determine the quality of an oyster

Too light, shiny flesh indicates insufficient nutrition of the oyster during its growth.

Most of the shell should be filled with meat. If it looks a little empty, the flesh is thin, too salty and smells bad, it is better to refrain from such food.

Good reputation of the restaurant - important indicator, but does not necessarily speak to the quality of the oysters it offers. Sometimes after a couple of questions to the cook who opened them and put them on ice, a lot becomes clear. The client has the right to express his doubts about the order and return it back.

Question and answer about oysters

Some people turn the shells into ice after finishing their meal. Is this necessary?

No. You can perform this gesture to express gratitude and show politeness to the waiter. This way he knows that the meal is complete.

If you are having dinner in the company of culinary aesthetes and you want to find the right words to describe your feelings, what is the best way to do this?

Words that describe the taste of oysters: salty, sweet, melon-flavored, buttery, metallic. Words to describe texture: hard, springy, dense, sticky.

Is it true that the taste of oysters varies depending on the season?

Without a doubt. In the spring they eat algae, which usually begins to bloom at the first sign of rising temperatures; In the summer, oysters reproduce, become passive in the fall, and freeze in the winter, hibernating. In cold weather they have nothing to eat, so in the fall they stock up on the necessary elements. The oyster flesh becomes large and sweet in taste. By early spring they are almost completely exhausted. Conclusion: the most delicious oysters are those caught between November and January. Northern species forced to survive more time, are in the very juice at Christmas.

Are there any oysters that are impossible to eat without additional seasoning?

Not all specimens are suitable for a raw food diet in their pure form. For example, tasting large, slimy New Orleans oysters without sauce will be disappointing and disgusting. Horseradish in large quantities would be appropriate here.

Bottom line

The owners of oyster farms say that everyone is free to eat this product at their own discretion, but only within the framework of inviolable, long-established rules. The freedom of choice is small, but still there: eat “clean” oysters or seasoned, with wine or martini, chewing or swallowing immediately. The main thing is to manipulate only those cutlery that the waiter brought, and there may be only two of them: a knife and an oyster fork.