What Are Oysters? How to Eat Oysters?

by Abbas Jahangir · June 26, 2021

Oyster
Interesting Facts About Oysters: What Are Oysters?
What Are the Benefits of Oysters?
Where to Find Oysters
How to Eat Oysters
What are the Differences Between Oysters and Mussels?
How to Consume Oysters?
Boiled Oyster Recipe

Once You Taste It, You Can’t Stop It!

Oyster

The oyster, which is a bivalve sea creature that adopts to live in a crowded environment in temperate seas, can be seen from the outside with its two-piece body, but it hides valuable pearls. Oyster leaves an important legacy with its large number of eggs.

Oysters, which can live for 50 years under normal conditions, die in a short time as a result of exposure to other sea creatures and hunting. However, with the flavor they add to the tables, they are remembered as an element that increases their popularity.

When the air temperature increases, sea creatures living in the breeding period breathe with the help of their gills.

Oysters, which also have a value from the Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek periods, symbolize elements such as resurrection and power in the history of art.
You can come across different varieties of oysters, which are unique and extraordinary creatures. The near-circular species and the egg-shaped Portuguese oysters are the two main species of interesting and valuable sea creature. Among the different types of oysters, you can most often encounter Japanese and European types.

Oyster fishing is a leading industrial activity in America, and the American oyster is a type of oyster that appeals to different tastes by being consumed both cooked or raw.

Interesting Facts About Oysters: What Are Oysters?

What are oysters? When the question is investigated, you may encounter layered and interesting aspects such as the body structure of the creature.
The oyster, which has two shells and is hermaphrodite (having male and female reproductive organs), in other words, can turn into a female whenever it wants, or a male whenever it wants, loves the warming texture of the warm seas.
These interesting and showy creatures, which are in the mussels category of mollusks and flat-gills, are often included in hunting plans because of their taste and pearls.
Even though the precious pearls inside the oyster can be caught in a short time, their formation takes 3 years.
The formation of pearls is completed as a result of the combination of sand and similar materials in the seas, where many different kinds of creatures have the opportunity to live, by entering the oyster shells and combining with the mother-of-pearl secretions.
Although white color comes to mind when oyster pearls are mentioned, the colors of pearls can be yellow, pink or even black.
X-ray devices, which are used because there is no pearl in every oyster, offer a solution to this situation.

What Are the Benefits of Oysters?

The oyster, which is not satisfied with its taste, is a leading sea creature in the category of both healthy and beneficial foods.
The aphrodisiac effect of oysters increases male sexual power and reproductive functions.
You can even find the name of the oyster, which is one of the most famous aphrodisiacs, in literary works on the subject.
The success of seafood in this regard is known by many.
Oyster, on the other hand, shows that its value is not limited to its taste and pearls with its contributions on the subject.
You can see the effects of consuming oysters on your health in our list:
Oysters are sea creatures and contain very little omega oils.
It is a food full of potassium. It meets the potassium requirement for your body.
If you are looking for natural methods for reproductive health, you can regularly consume oysters and balance your hormones.
This beneficial nutrient, which is effective for both women’s and men’s reproductive health, is a nutrient recommended for couples who want to have children to consume in moderation.
Oyster, one of the sea creatures containing vitamin C, helps strengthen your immune system.
Oysters, which contain calcium and vitamin A in large amounts, help the body functions to work more healthily.

Where to Find Oysters

After learning all these superior features and taste, ‘Where to find oysters’ You may wonder the answer to the question.
Although it is an extremely valuable food, unfortunately, oyster cultivation is limited in our country, so it cannot be seen as a seafood product that is very easy to reach. However, you can definitely find a way to combine with this food.
You can find oyster varieties, which you can buy in packages from some markets, in gourmet fish restaurants and taste them in a quality environment.
You will definitely want to experience this moment again after experiencing the delicious oysters coming out of the flowing waters of the Bosphorus and the Aegean Sea on a table filled with appetizers.
It will be useful to give the names of restaurants where you can taste oysters, since it is a hard-to-find taste: You can enjoy oyster dishes in quality and famous Istanbul places such as Chilai, G Balik, Pescatore and Cecconi’s Restaurant.
Alternatively, you can find oysters at fishermen’s stalls, as you need to consume fresh oysters, so you need to place them on your table in a short time after purchasing.
The price of oysters starts around 30 TL in restaurants and markets. You may encounter slightly higher prices when included in meals.
Oysters, which are frequently grown in European countries, need nutrition like every living thing when they live in the sea, and they open their shells and add plankton in the water.
The oyster, which is almost impossible to be consumed, can be easily found in the depths of the warm seas.
It is thought that it is more beneficial to consume the oyster, which is given importance in the degree of sanctity by Western cultures, outside the summer months.
However, many restaurants, especially abroad, break this rule and decorate their menus with oyster dishes in the hot summer months. As a result, you can have this wonderful taste in any season you want.

How to Eat Oysters

You must wash and clean the oyster, which is an appetizing looking, useful and delicious creature, before consuming it.
After placing the oyster on the cutting board with the large side of the shell down, you can open it by inserting a slightly thick knife into the end by pressing lightly on the top.
‘How to open an oyster?’ If you are wondering, you can easily reach the meaty part by trying this tactic.
After you open the upper shell, you can eat the meaty part like mussels by squeezing lemon on it.
If you are looking for different flavors, you can try cooked canned or smoked oysters.
If you want to create more interesting gourmet dishes, you can add soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, wasabi, ginger according to your taste.
When you eat it raw and with a squeeze of lemon, you can feel as if you are integrated with the beach and sea waves 🙂
If you want to consume oysters cooked rather than raw, you can cook them in the oven with their shells.
Alternatively, you can cook the oyster on the barbecue by adding butter and white wine to it. Thus, ‘How to make oysters?’ You can apply different methods to answer the question.

What are the Differences Between Oysters and Mussels?

Oysters, which are related to mussels, which are an indispensable taste you are used to eating in shell or sauced mussels, also show a meaty and filling feature.
When examined closely, some differences can be seen between them. While the shells of mussels are flat and smooth, oysters have a slightly harder and rougher shell structure.
Apart from that, Oysters complete their development in three years and mussels in one year.
While oysters like to roam freely, mussels prefer to cling to stony areas in the sea.
You can also consume oysters raw, but you must cook the mussels before you eat them.
While mussels live in areas such as rivers and oceans, you can come across oysters in the depths of the sea at any time.

How to Consume Oysters?

Although there are many nutritional aspects and benefits, if you do not consume oysters correctly, you may encounter the harms of oysters.
Since an oyster with its mouth open has died, it can cause harmful effects in the body. It is also very important that you take care to keep the food fresh.
Obtaining oysters from clean water, cooking them at high temperatures and storing them in hygienic conditions are among the points you should pay attention to.
The way the oyster is eaten is also important in order to fully enjoy it.
Chewing the food in the mouth for a long time can cause the taste to deteriorate. You can taste the real oyster when you swallow it after chewing it at most twice.
It is also recommended not to be fed to children under 5 years old. Consuming too much can cause allergic reactions and digestive system problems.
You can try special cooking techniques so that the nutritional value of the oyster is not lost and it can be consumed.
If you want to eat it later in the year, you can make this useful food canned and consume it whenever you want.

Boiled Oyster Recipe

With the practical recipe, you can prepare using oysters, you can add an exquisite taste to your tables, similar to the gourmet restaurant menu.

After thoroughly washing 750 grams of oysters in cold water, you can complete the first step of the meal by heating 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 julienned yellow pepper in a slightly large pan.
When the garlic in the pan turns golden, you can add the oysters and vinegar to the mixture you prepared before.
You should be careful to keep the lid of the pan closed until the oysters open.
When all the ingredients in the pan are cooked, you can take the oysters into a large bowl and add black pepper.
When you put the oysters you prepared on the toasted bread, your oysters are ready to be served!
When you consume the meal with white wine, an extraordinary and pleasant table that will increase your taste is waiting for you.
If you wish, you can put the boiled oysters in the oven, which is heated at 200 degrees, in a short time and you can get them to a slightly crispy consistency. Thus, you will consume and serve a soft and crispy oyster.