You love white wine? Then there is a good chance you love oysters. They go together, hand in hand. Wine is good for you, we all know that. But not everyone knows that eating oysters is good for your health too. Great nutrition: Oysters are one of the best sources of zinc, the micronutrient that lies at the base of the biochemistry of sex. Oysters taste like the sea itself. There is something liberating about inhaling that little ocean breeze that comes when you put one in your mouth. Close your eyes and you can see a beach, the seaweed sprawled on the shore. You can even hear the rumor of the sea, its constant motion. Besides that, from a nutrition point of view, they are one of the best balanced of foods, containing protein, carbohydrates and fat. They also pack vitamins and essential minerals like iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, manganese and phosphorus. As such they are a great snack for elder people, pregnant women and kids…if you can get them to eat the slimy stuff. As we all know, oysters are the food of love, and from time immemorial people all over the world have celebrated their aphrodisiac qualities. They also have tremendous invigorating power… try them mid morning after you have partied late. Nothing will put you back in business like a dozen oysters on the half shell with a squeeze of lemon or your favorite hot sauce. Oysters are also one of the most wine friendly foods. Pair them with something like Chablis or Muscadet wine. These are particularly good with brine-tasting oysters (some oyster varieties are a lot sweeter than others), like Effinghams. Riper, melon-like flavors found in Kumamotos and Kushis have more affinity for a fruitier wine, still with racy acidity, like Sauvignon Blanc. Royal Miyagis are in between both ends so they are flexible and you can enjoy them with a Maconnaise (Chardonnay), Petit-Chablis, Sancerre or Marlborough or Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. And remember, unlike farmed salmon, farmed oysters should be welcome. Oyster farming is an old activity, so old that even the Romans practiced it. The French have been into it since the 18th century. Oysters, like other bivalves (mussels, clams) “clean” the seawater, as they filter it in search of micro algae which constitutes their diet. A lot of wild oyster populations have been decimated in our BC coasts as well as in many other places around the world. Farming reduces the pressure on native stocks and provides employment in remote areas without polluting the ocean waters. The best way to eat them is plain raw. A squirt of lime should suffice, although making them into ceviche is also a great idea. Shuck three oysters into a wide mouth wine glass (don’t miss the mollusk’s liquid or “blood”), squeeze half a lime, a little grated fresh ginger. If you don’t like the slimy texture that much, wait a couple of minutes, as the lime juice firms up the oysters flesh. Or you can add chopped cucumber or radish for a crunchy texture while still enjoying the slimes’ flavor. Oysters are very much an acquired taste (just like wine) and the more you eat the more you will enjoy them.
