Fortune Fish & Gourmet has added Hangtown oysters to its shellfish offerings.
The oysters, which are grown in the tidelands of a natural glacier-carved fjord in the Kitsap Peninsula of Puget Sound and are considered a member of the Pacific oysters species family, are farmed exclusively for Fortune Fish.
This specific type of shellfish features “a well-balanced combination of sweetness at the start, with a buttery soft brine finish,” according to the seafood purveyor.
“We had the idea to create Hangtown oyster a couple of years ago,” President and CEO of Fortune Fish & Gourmet Sean J. O’Scannlain. “Our team really enjoys bringing a little history into our brands, similar to our East Coast offering, the Old 1871 Oysters. We’re thrilled with how fantastic they taste. The farm we work with is producing an incredible oyster, and we are excited for people to try them.”
According to the company, the Hangtown variety is named for a piece of local oyster history. During the California Gold Rush, the location of Hangtown was regarded as one of the first towns settlers encountered while in search of bounty and riches. The vigilante justice dished out to the town’s lawbreakers earned the town its moniker. One such rule-breaker awaiting execution requested an oyster omelet as his last meal, staving off his hanging for two weeks as the oysters would be coming by steamship from hundreds of miles away, and over rough roads thereafter. The oyster omelet was renamed the “Hangtown Fry,” in light of its ability to extend a person's life by two weeks.
