Oysters! 

WHEN I THINK ABOUT the moment I fell in love with oysters...I was terrified, BUT slurping down a raw oyster felt like a dare, and like a dare! But with no small amount of lemon and nerve (a side of Veuve) - I’d never tasted anything like it—briny, sweet, and overwhelmingly fresh, like tasting the ocean. I shared a whole dozen!

Oysters are humble yet magical!

One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day!

For most people, oysters feel like a food that needs to be eaten while out to dinner at a fancy restaurant, or at a celebratory happy hour, or at a beachside seafood spot while on vacation. And yes, there is a certain kind of luxury attendant on a shiny platter of icy-cold shellfish being set down in front of you. But once you understand how to source, store, and open oysters yourself, enjoying these beautiful mollusks at home becomes easy. To level up your holiday party—or any party!—bring out a tray or two of oysters. Shuck them tableside. Pair them with Champagne (or a dirty martini) while you’re at it. Just make sure that, for each one you eat, you take a beat to savor the moment.

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF VARIETIES of oysters spread throughout the world; however, just five are commercially harvested, grown, and sold in the United States. Where an oyster was grown has a lot to do with how it tastes: Generally, oysters from the West Coast are sweeter, oysters from the East Coast are saltier and brinier, and Gulf Coast oysters are similar to East Coast oysters, but larger and meatier. But the exact oyster variety also influences its final flavor, texture, and shape. Here’s what’s unique about each American oyster breed, so you know exactly what you’re slurping.

• PACIFIC OYSTERS  (Magallana Gigas)

• Known for their fluted shells with deep cups and their firm, crisp meat, Pacifics are the most popular oyster species in the world. In the U.S., they’re predominantly grown on the West Coast. They tend to taste mild and slightly sweet, with fruit and vegetable notes, as well as a good amount of brine and, often, a light metallic edge.

• KUMAMOTO OYSTERS  (Magallana Sikamea)

• Like Pacific oysters, Kumamotos have deep cups and pointy shells and are cultivated on the Pacific Coast. They take a lot longer to grow—three years as opposed to just two—and are significantly smaller. What they lack in size, they make up for in flavor. Their semifirm meat tends to be very sweet, often melony, with nuanced floral notes.

• ATLANTIC OR EASTERN OYSTERS  (Crassostrea Virginica)

• Historically the most commonly harvested oyster in the United States, Atlantic oysters are native to the Atlantic coast of North America and into the Gulf of Mexico. They have large, smooth, teardrop-shaped shells, and their flavors vary dramatically. But generally, the farther north you go, the brinier the flavor.

• OLYMPIA OYSTERS  (Ostrea Lurida and Ostrea Conchaphila)

• Olympia oysters, the only ones indigenous to the West Coast of North America, were decimated in the early 20th century due to pollution and overharvesting. Wild populations do exist today but are stringently protected. They are usually very small—approximately the size of a 50-cent piece—and have an earthy, coppery flavor.

• EUROPEAN FLAT OYSTERS (Ostrea Edulis)

• These smooth, saucerlike oysters are harvested wild in New England, and they’re farmed in Maine as well as Washington state (to a lesser extent). They have a meaty texture, intense minerality, umami-laden seaweed notes, and a long-lasting finish that some oyster lovers describe as gamey—the boldest flavor of all the oyster species.

• HOW TO STORE THEM

• “Oysters stay fresh for a really long time if they’re stored properly,” says Ari Kolender, chef and owner of Found Oyster and Queen St. Raw Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. To prevent the loss of the oyster liquor, or the briny liquid surrounding the meat that’s the sign of a fresh oyster, Kolender suggests packing oysters tightly in a mesh bag—the more space they have, the more likely they are to open and close. “Even though if they open, they’ll close right away, they still release a little bit of their liquor, which is their lifeline.”

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• Kolender suggests leaving the oysters in the bag set over a plate or bowl in the coldest area of your refrigerator for up to seven days. “That way, if they do release liquor, it won’t go all over your fridge.” Alternatively, set oysters on ice in a colander inside a bowl covered with a damp towel, or lay them out on a sheet tray, cup side down. 

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• WHERE TO BUY THEM

• If you’re lucky enough to live near oyster-rich waters, the best, most efficient way to buy them fresh is from a farmer or at a local fish market. Otherwise, you can order your oysters online. Here are five of our favorite options for mail-order oysters. —Charles Antin and Amelia Schwartz

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• FISHERS ISLAND OYSTER FARM

• Based in Block Island Sound, New York, this oyster farm is beloved for their crisp, briny oysters and their mission to “farm without harm.” (From $95 for two dozen oysters, fishersislandoysters.com)

• ISLAND CREEK OYSTERS

• Shop oysters from Island Creek’s oyster farm in Duxbury, Massachusetts, as well as from across the East Coast and Canada. (From $125 for 50 oysters, shop.islandcreekoysters.com)

• HAMA HAMA

• In addition to their crisp namesake oysters, Hama Hama offers a terrific mix of oysters from their farm in Lilliwaup, Washington, and from nearby partner farms. (From $75 for three dozen oysters, hamahamaoysters.com)

• HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO.

• Hog Island offers oysters, Dungeness crabs, spot prawns, and other seafood from California’s Tomales Bay, where the company is based. (From $85 for three dozen oysters, hogislandoysters.com)

• TAYLOR SHELLFISH FARMS

• Taylor is the largest farmed-shellfish producer in the Pacific Northwest, and they consistently deliver quality mollusks from Shelton, Washington. (From $65 for 30 oysters, taylorshellfishfarms.com)

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• HOW TO BUILD THE ULTIMATE OYSTER PLATTER

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• DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE PLATE

• Putting your oysters on a French porcelain oyster plate will look gorgeous, but don’t go out of your way to buy one. “If you want a spread to be impressive, it’s really about how you lay it out more than whether you have a really expensive platter,” says Bryan Rackley of Kimball House in Decatur, Georgia. “You can use some metal plates or casserole dishes—anything that, once chilled, stays cold for a while.”

• GIVE THE DISPLAY SOME RANGE

• Whenever Rackley prepares an oyster platter at home, he mixes in a variety of seafood—shrimp cocktail, seasoned crab claws, even a tin of caviar (see here). If you want to stick with oysters, try to get a range of varieties. “If you’ve got the ability to put multiple oysters from multiple places on a tray, I think that’s really cool,” he says.

• GET THE RIGHT ICE

• To keep your shucked oysters cool, lay them on a pile of ice. “Pebble ice is always going to be the best for seafood because it doesn’t stick together and you can easily nestle the oysters into it,” says Ari Kolender of Found Oyster and Queen St. Raw Bar & Grill in Los Angeles. If you don’t have a pebble-ice machine at home, Kolender suggests picking up a bag at a fast-food chain like Chick-fil-A or Sonic.

• PLATE WITH INTENTION

• According to Joshua Pinsky of Penny in New York City, it’s remarkably easy to make oysters look beautiful on a platter: All you have to do is have them face the same direction. “If you have a couple of oysters, face them the same way, and keep them equally spread apart. If you have a lot, shingle them in a circle like a flower, or place them facing the same direction, and they’ll look like fish scales.”

• HAVE FUN WITH THE ACCOUTREMENTS

• Any chef would agree that an oyster platter should come with the classic accompaniments: lemon, mignonette, cocktail sauce, and hot sauce. But if you want your spread to stand out, have some fun with the sides. Play with nontraditional condiments like garlic aioli or pico de gallo, and throw in some chips and crackers. (Pinsky and Kolender both love buttery Ritz Crackers.)

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• HOW TO EAT RAW OYSTERS IN PUBLIC WITH CONFIDENCE

• There’s something intimidating about eating oysters in public, even if you’ve done it hundreds of times before. There’s no wrong way to eat one, but here are a few tips to keep in mind from chef Kyle Bailey of the New England–inspired seafood restaurant The Salt Line in Washington, D.C. —Clarissa Buch Zilberman

• USE THE SMALL FORK

• “Always begin by loosening the oyster so that it is not attached to the shell,” says Bailey. “Generally, there is a small fork provided for just this purpose. Then, bring the oyster shell to your lips, tip slightly, and enjoy.”

• DRINK THE LIQUOR

• “Remember, the oyster liquor is there to be enjoyed. The shell contains the liquor, which has a briny flavor that complements the oyster and won’t overpower it. There is no need to pour it out before consuming.”

• CHEW, CHEW, CHEW

• “An oyster is meant to be savored,” says Bailey. “Rather than swallowing them whole, I recommend biting into the oyster so their full flavor profile can be experienced.” This will maximize the flavor and prolong the experience.

• FLIP THE SHELL

• “Usually, people turn their shells face down and put them back on the ice or platter on which they were served. Another option is to place them on a shared plate specifically for shells to avoid possibly spreading germs.”

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• AND WHAT TO POUR WITH IT

• Despite countless opinions about pairing wine with oysters, it’s a surprisingly flexible proposition (as long as you avoid red wines). And while oysters offer a range of flavors, brininess underpins them all; with that saline quality as your guide, keep three rules in mind. —Nils Bernstein, Author of The Joy of Oysters

• CUT SALT WITH ACID

• A chef’s kitchen trick is adding lemon juice or vinegar to an oversalted dish. That’s why a squeeze of lemon or a drop of mignonette somehow makes briny oysters taste sweeter and more complex. Try pairing briny oysters with a crisp white, like a Muscadet, Assyrtiko, Chablis, or Albariño, and skip the lemon wedge.

• PAIR SWEET WITH SALTY

• Salted caramel aficionados know how perfectly sweet and salty flavors match. Sauternes, a sweet white wine from Bordeaux, has considerable acidity to balance its sweetness (think lemonade), which helps explain its affinity with oysters. It’s especially good with powerfully flavored oysters.

• MATCH LUXURY WITH LUXURY

• Oysters are often part of a lavish meal, and eating one is itself a luxurious experience. Reflect that same mood with the wine pairing. Champagne has the acidity and minerality to match raw oysters, and the bubbles help cleanse the palate when eating richer cooked-oyster dishes.

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• HOW TO SHUCK AN OYSTER

• Shucking an oyster can be intimidating, given the reputation for hand injuries. “The knife could slip out of the shell and puncture your skin,” says Joshua Pinsky of Penny in New York City. “Once you’ve done that, you’ll probably never want to shuck an oyster again.” To protect your hand, use a kitchen towel or steel-mesh glove. According to Pinsky, a foolproof oyster-opening technique requires an oyster knife. Here’s how to do it. —Amelia Schwartz

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• 1. PLACE OYSTER IN HAND

• Fold a dry towel into fourths, and lay it on the palm of your nondominant hand to protect from accidental slips. Nestle the oyster in the towel, cupping the bottom shell in the palm of your hand with the hinge facing you.

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• 2. POP THE HINGE

• Place the point of the knife at the hinge between the shells, and apply enough pressure to slide the tip of the knife through. Gently wiggle the knife slightly, and turn, like a key, until the pressure releases and you feel a “pop.”

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• 3. REMOVE TOP SHELL

• Carefully run the knife along the inside of the top shell from back to front, following its contours, and cut the adductor muscle that holds the oyster shells together. Lift the top shell open and remove; set aside or discard.

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• 4. RELEASE OYSTER

• Wipe the blade clean. Glide the knife under the oyster to cut the muscle from the bottom shell. Try to keep the liquor inside the shell. Set the oyster on the half shell on a platter with ice or rock salt, and serve.