To prepare for the start of Great Britain’s 2009 native oyster season, which kicks off 1 September, the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) has created its first Pacific Oyster Tasting Guide. The guide is aimed at introducing oysters to a larger audience and educating oyster lovers and novices alike about the differences in flavor and taste among Pacific/rock oysters (Crassostrea gigas).
SAGB will promote the oysters through the guide and a series of local events that will feature 12 varieties of Pacific oysters ranging from West Scotland to South West Cornwall. Showcased varieties include: Frenchman’s Creek, Lindisfarne, Duchy Special, Jersey, Whitstable, River Exe, Poole, Maldon and more. The guide ranks each variety on a scale of one to nine according to each of the following four categories: flavour, saltiness, sweetness and umami. The guide also provides a map showing the geographic locations where each variety can be found.
“We believe these guides can help raise awareness of oysters in the public eye and generate increased demand; ultimately we want to see people move away from blindly ordering ‘a dozen oysters’ and think about choosing particular tasting oysters to suit their palates, their accompanying courses or even their drinks," said Dr. Tom Pickerell, SAGB director. "We chose oysters as we realized the majority of oyster 'lovers' did not realize the huge difference in flavors and tastes between rock oysters from different areas of the UK. Few actually knew the difference between native oysters (Ostrea edulis) and Pacific/rock oysters (Crassostrea gigas)," Pickerell added.
The association hopes to expand and produce further guides featuring other varieties of native Pacific oysters. They will also sponsor the "UK Oyster Championship" later this year and are developing a booklet of eight celebrity chef's recipes for cooked oysters that will be given to oyster producers and fishmongers. In addition, the association has produced a series of "How to" videos on preparing and eating shellfish.
Last year, UK vessels landed over 140,000 metric tons of shellfish into the UK and exported 106,400 metric tons of shellfish, or 76 percent of all landings.
