WHY NOVEMBER 18th

NOVEMBER 18th IS INTERNATIONAL OYSTER DAY BECAUSE OYSTERS ARE SOMEWHAT (NOT COMPLETELY) SEASONAL.

#1: FALL OFFERS PEAK QUALITY

In the Northern Hemisphere (where 80% of humans live and where the vast majority of the worlds oysters are produced and brought to market) this is the time when oyster quality is at or very near its peak. This is a material fact understood and agreed upon by everyone who grows oysters and every oyster aficionado. That’s NOT to say its unsafe, it is to say that in Summer, when oysters spawn, they can be either creamy (full of sperm or egg) or thin (exhausted from ejaculating up to 90 times a day for weeks on end). Creamy or thin oysters are COMMON in July and August. This is not the peak quality experience we want consumers to have with oysters. So FALL is the time to celebrate oysters, period. But its not just about peak quality. It’s also about Peak Variety.

#2: FALL OFFERS PEAK VARIETY

This is a time of  year where the greatest variety of oysters are available to consumers. This is also a material fact. In November we have EVERYTHING FROM EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE! And its all GREAT, at peak quality. In summer, we do not. For example, you cant find Belon or Olympia Oysters in summer, at all. NOBODY harvests or sells them in Summer. So that means that 2 of the 5 species are absent in the marketplace! Details on this below:

BELON - Ostrea Edulis. A cornerstone species and variety. NOT AVAILABLE in Summer at all.

OLYMPIA - Ostrea Lurida. A cornerstone species and variety. NOT AVAILABLE in Summer at all. The only oyster native to the Pacific Coast of N. America and only produced by a handful of growers. This oyster variety & species as the favorite of James Beard and Mark Twain. Its one of the worlds best oysters and this is the oyster that should be everyone’s first oyster. If it were, we’d have a lot more people enjoying oysters regularly.

EAST COAST, ATLANTIC & GULF: Crassostrea Virginica. Widely available BUT not at peak quality. Like all oysters, C. Virginica spawns in Summer. Especially late July and early August. Spawing causes stress on the animal. A LOT of stress. So, more “sub-par” product makes its way to tables in restaurants in Summer than in Fall & Winter.

WEST COAST, PACIFIC: Crassostrea Gigas: Widely Available but quite often they can be quite creamy. Higher risk of food-borne illness exists in those varieties that are beach grown in inter-tidal method as they can be exposed to hours of high temps. More “sub-par” product makes its way to tables in restaurants in Summer than in Fall & Winter. A LOT more.

KUMAMOTO: Crassostrea Sikamea: Native to Kumamoto Bay Japan, this species was brought to WA by Japanese immigrants who practiced aquaculture in their new home. This variety is only grown in 3 places at any kind of a commercially viable level: WA, CA & Mexico. Even the northernmost WA product is simply more “fragile” in summer when higher temps than it likes cause stress on the animals. A greater level of mortality exists in summer. Yield in restaurants falls. More “sub-par” product makes its way to tables in restaurants in Summer than in Fall & Winter. A LOT more consumers get a weak or low quality Kumo in Summer then should be the case.

So, in Summer, two of the 5 species are not even available. The other 3 are not at peak quality!

Think about it:

If you were going have a grand wine tasting and celebration, for the purposes of building value in wine and selling more of it, you’d choose to pour the best wines, from the best years, wouldnt you?

If you wanted to get people to appreciate cider more, you’d choose the best ciders, from the best regions and offer consumers the widest possible variety of cider so consumers could understand the spectrum and find their preference, right?

If your goal was to get someone whose never had an IPA to LIKE IPA’s wouldnt you choose the best ones, at the best time, if your goal was to get a consumer to

#3: EVERY OYSTER GROWER AGREES THAT THIS IS PRIME TIME

November and December are the ideal months to showcase oysters. The spawn is over and the animals have recovered from the stress of it and higher water temps. The holidays have not begun yet and oysters are getting fat in preparation for winter. Their meats are crisp and opaque. They ship better too because their isnt much “new growth” making the leading edge fragile so fewer sub-par oysters are reaching consumers in restaurants and raw bars.

#4: AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR BEST STUFF TO THE BIVALVE CURIOUS

Wouldn’t everyone who produces or serves oysters want to chose this time to showcase them to those less familiar with or enchanted by oysters. We coined the phrase “Bivalve Curious” back in 2013 to describe these consumers. You know, the folks who are on the fence about raw oysters served on the half-shell. They want to like oysters more but maybe they had a bad experience with one once. Or maybe they are afraid of the cold meat, think they are slimy or have some other issue. These are the people who will be the next generation of oyster connoisseurs, aficionados and advocates…if we handle it well. So, if you were an oyster grower trying to get your neighbors to like oysters, wouldnt you want to showcase you product in November, when they were at their peak? As an industry, don’t we want to offer the widest variety of the finest possible product to consumers we’d like to turn into connoisseurs and advocates in the future?

#5: ITS A GREAT TIME TO VISIT AN OYSTER FARM

Fall colors, crisp air and cooling waters make for a great time to see where it all happens. More and more growers are offering tours at this time of year as well. And what better time to visit a beautiful farm then when the oysters are at their peak quality. Promoting and developing OysTourism like this is an extremely important tool for developing an appreciation of oysters and increasing the production and consumption of oysters. And that’s the end goal, isn’t it?

OYSTER INDUSTRY LEADERS, JOIN US IN THIS EFFORT, PLEASE

We need your help! We are working really hard here to get the media, influencers and foodies out there to ABANDON Aug 5 and ADOPT Nov 18 as National, World and/or International Oyster Day. It’s MUCH BETTER FOR EVERYONE and as a STAKEHOLDER IN OYSTERS it matters most to you. Stakeholders are growers, distributors, chefs, scientists, authors, influencers, thought-leaders…etc. In 2021 we’ll renew our efforts to promote 11.18 as INTERnational Oyster Day. We hope you can help us to spread the word.

~ COMING BACK IN 2022 ~

THE PREMIER GLOBAL SHELLEBRATION

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - 11/18/22

~ EVENT DETAILS HERE~

WATCH A SHORT VIDEO ABOUT THE 5 SPECIES HERE

 FEATURE #2 - SIKAMEA SHOWDOWN

Try all of the Kumamoto varieties, side by side. Decide which you prefer as you come to understand and recognize the differences between them.

Kumamotos (Crassostrea Sikamea) are, in fact, indigenous ONLY to Japan. Japanese oyster growers who immigrated to North America long ago brought the seed and expertise with them to produce “Kumos” in WA. The oyster species that is Crassostrea Sikamea is now grown in WA, CA and MX and are generally referred to as Kumamoto Oysters. NOTE: A very small number are grown in OR too but they are not widely available. So, which one is best? Which do you prefer most? By tasting all 3 widely available varieties of “Kumamotos” side by side you can decide which you prefer.

 FEATURE #3 - 5 PAIRINGS

Each oyster species will be paired with beer, wine, spirit, sake or cider. Enjoy unlimited quantities of oysters & libations (presented in various ways) and discover which pairings you prefer

FEATURE #4 - MULTIPLE VARIETIES ON OFFER

Target Varieties Include*

Taylor Kumamoto (WA) || Mexi-Moto (MX) || Cali-Moto (CA) || Totten Inlet Virginia (WA) || Belon (ME) || Olympia (WA) || Cormandel Cups (NZ) || Beau Soleil (NB) || Fishers Island (NY) || Shigoku (WA) || Kusshi (BC) || Capital (WA) || Pemaquid (ME) || Island Creek (MA) || High Bar Harbor (NJ) || Matunick (RI) || Glacier Candy (AK)

From 11 + states or provinces and 4 Countries, Shucked Live, Served Raw - On The Half Shell

*Substitutions may occur due to variables beyond anyone’s control. But our track record in delivering EXACTLY what we target is outstanding!