Meroir to our group means being able to really taste the flavors of the ocean in the oyster you are eating, whether it is the saltiness of the water, or the minerals in the dirt the oyster was living in.

By: Cole

A world of flavors: Differences in Oysters

After my adventures in oyster tasting, I can certainly say that the same species of oyster from different locations taste vastly different due to the conditions of the bay. At Taylor’s Shellfish, our class tried Pacific oysters from three different spots on Puget Sound. The one from Hood canal was intensely briny with a strong finish tasting like melon rind. The one from Case Inlet was plump, juicy and meaty, as well as slightly vegetal. The one from Eld inlet was far creamier, smooth, light and sweet. It was amazing to really taste the distinct flavors and know that it was the same organism across the board, simply shaped by meroir. One thing I noticed was that they stepped down in brininess the further south they were grown. NOAA published a study concluding that Hood Canal waters and other northern inlets do have a higher salinity than southern inlets.

http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/publications/scipubs/techmemos/tm44/environment.htm

 

Written by: Mazzy