Insight on tastings

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Our groups three favorite insights on the oyster tastings were, for Tomales Bay on the California trip it was pretty cool that we got to see where the sorted and cleaned the oysters, Taylor Shellfish also did a very good job at showing how to oysters are processed, it was a very cool experience seeing that at both locations, and learning new things about the oyster industry and seeing what goes on behind closed doors. Knowing that both operations run such a clean facility is good to know. Donedei winery they did a very good job of preparing different types oysters in different ways. They had a variety of species of raw oysters to try, grilled oysters on the BBQ, and even Geoduck served sashimi style! There were a different variety of sauces that you could put on the oyster. The environment we were exposed to was very relaxing and fun, it almost didn’t feel like class, yet we were learning, tasting, and experiencing so much about oysters.

By: Cole

Most memorable oyster

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The Oyster of a lifetime

It started with headlamps peering through a pitch black night in the woods, accompanied by the song of boots squishing in the mud and the adjusting of chest waders that barely fit. I was headed to the Evergreen beach with the shellfish club, and the enthusiasm to harvest our own oysters was buzzing through the air. I knew a few of the members from class, but there were many new faces. All the conversations of the hike down revolved around our personal relationships with oysters. I was excited to be amongst fellow oyster lovers and hear from different voices. I was in excellent company, and going to one of my favorite places on earth, the beach I have been forming a harmonious friendship with throughout my past couple months living here. My heart filled with happiness to see the oyster beds nestled on our very own campus beach for the first time. We were told to help ourselves to any of the oysters we saw. Surrounded by happy souls and positive energy, we began to search the ground for the perfect specimens. After picking up a plump one that could still fit in the palm of my hand, I began to shuck. It took a few minutes, and the sound of oyster shells popping open around me was a bit discouraging. At last when I heard that satisfying crack, I gazed at my precious prize with affection and admiration. I held it to my nose and took a long breath in, its smell distinctly reminding me of the brisk mist off the water when I hiked down to the water on weekend mornings. I smiled, then tilted its shell back to let the smooth oyster slide into my mouth and form to the curve of my tongue. Letting it float for a moment, I basked in the flavor, savoring the place I love so dearly through the treasured oyster it had created. I chewed it ever so longingly, relishing in its extreme creaminess and sweet, fruity top notes, and when I finally swallowed, I felt a shiver of satisfaction run through my body. I was invigorated, enchanted by the moment in time that the product of this place had been directly consumed by me. Harvesting, shucking, and eating my own oyster from a place I love, surrounded by other passionate oyster-eaters, was a feeling of liveliness that I will never forget.

Written by: Mazzy Lattery

Multi-Cultural History and Contemporary Business

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At the Squaxin Island Tribe Museum Library and Research Center, I heard stories from the Native Americans who run the Center: “I have a passion for rocks that have life, I have a passion for people who have tattoos that are walking canvases, I have a passion for the animals… this circle of life.” These are the words of wisdom from the Executive Director. We learned about the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854, which was about Indigenous sovereignty of the sea. This treaty granted Native Americans the right to fish in the Puget Sound, like they’ve always done. Native Americans respected oysters and the ecosystem to which they belonged: “we believe this land is very sacred.”

Euro-American capitalism exploited oysters. For example, Blue Point Oysters got their name from the place they grew: Blue Point, NY. However, the industry took advantage of the popularity and selling point of “Blue Point Oysters” and began to capitalize on this name. Soon oysters all along the east coast were being sold under the name of “Blue Point,” regardless of where they came from. This can be compared with champagne, which we think of as any old sparkling wine, but it is actually a city in France and a wine region. It is inaccurate to call a wine that is not from this region “champagne,” and yet it is all over the supermarkets broadcasted as such.

Another example of using misleading labeling for marketing is with Vermont maple syrup. Vermont is famous for maple syrup, and the largest producer of it in the world, producing 5.5% of the world’s maple syrup. According to American Terroir by Rowan Jacobsen, companies started selling “Vermont Maple Syrup” that only had a tiny fraction of syrup actually from Vermont.

Written by: Kristina Holtrop