FOOD & DRINK
T he cold waters off Canada’s east coast produce excellent oysters, for years, the enjoyable briny-sweet Malpeque from Prince Edward Island has been the best-known and most widely coveted around the world. Briny and flavorful, these oysters off the coast of Prince Edward Island benefit from the ice-cold conditions of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and results in oysters that are a touch sweet with a light mineral finish. Housed in a large, shallow shell, these oysters are the source of pristine sips and satisfied palates at some of the world’s finest tables. These delicious bivalves are also rumoured to help your love life. “PEI Oysters are so special because of the waters they are grown in.” Kendra Mills, of Brackley Bay Oysters, “We have such clean, cold, pristine environments on PEI and that’s reflected in the product.” Malpaques are PEI’s most famous local oyster variety and are found on menus all over the world, from New York to Beijing. “There are many varieties of oysters, all with their own unique taste, texture, and size. The flavour differences between each brand will reflect the waters they are grown in.” Atlantic Aqua Farms Oyster Product Manager, Lisa Prosper said, “Oyster flavour changes depending on their growing environment and the nutrients in waters they are grown in. Each region will have its own distinctive attributes.” On the Island, bivalves are known by the waters where they grow. If you haven’t experienced it for yourself, now is the time.
Colville Bay at the mouth of the Souris River. Grown at the bottom of the bay, the sand is soft and silty which helps to create the perfect environment. The distinct salty-sweet flavour will leave you craving more. On the north shore of PEI, Raspberry Points are grown in off-bottom cages. Keeping them off the bottom of the bay provides a lighter flavour and nicely manicured shells. Their characteristics are a salty flavour, a clean finish and a bit of crunch. Bedeque Bay and Summerside cultivated in Salutation Cove, this spot receives two strong tidal surges each day, giving oysters in this area extra nutrients. This environment helps them grow twice as fast as others on the Island. They are also stronger flavoured than the typically light flavour of Maritime oysters. Oysters grown wild in the glacial depths of Malpeque Bay are harvested by hand-tonging out of small skiffs. At a Paris exhibition in 1900, the Malpeque Oyster was judged as the world’s tastiest oysters with a meaty bite as well as a quick, clean and sweet finish. “In terms of taste, I would say there is not a lot of difference between a wild and farmed oyster.”Prosper said, “The main difference would be in the shape. A wild oyster does not get handled prior to harvest so they tend to be a little rough around the edges, whereas, a farmed oyster is handled through- out its growth cycle which allows the farmer to control the shape giving a consistent shell. Farmed oysters are not fed and grow naturally, fed by Mother Nature. Farmed means they grow in a controlled environment where the farmers can ensure they grow strong, and have a beautiful shape.”
you when shucking an oyster, “Keep your cup side down to maintain all the “liquor” inside the oyster as possible. That’s salty seawater!” “My favourite way to eat an oyster is raw and nothing on it so I can enjoy its merroir, but there is no wrong way to eat an oyster!” Prosper said, “When I started eating oysters, I was always told to swallow it whole, but I feel you need to give it a couple of chews to aerate the meat, this releases the amazing combination of flavours inside.” “My favourite way to eat oysters is fresh shucked with some Maritime Madness Heavenly Horseradish sauce.” Mills said, “If I am going to be a little more adventurous, I have a baked oyster recipe with panko, lemon and butter and I love a good, crispy fried oyster. But my go-to is fresh shucked with Heavenly Horseradish.” Prosper encourages you to try a simple squeeze of lemon, hot sauce, horseradish, or your favourite mignonette. Or try them all! “Oysters used to have an old wives’ tale to eat in months that end in “R”.” Mills said, “While oysters stop feeding as the waters get cold, and go into dormancy, that old tale likely came from lack of refrigeration.” When oysters are feeding in the summer, they have a shelf life of about a month (if stored properly), but when they go into dormancy and stop feeding, they have a shelf life of up to three months! So, before refrigeration, oysters were shipped more after the waters cooled down. But now, with modern refrigeration, oysters are kept at proper temperatures all the time, so they can be enjoyed all year! If you’ve never had a PEI oyster, make 2022 the summer you introduce yourself to the famous bivalves and get slurping!
Both Prosper and Mills agree it’s all about the flavour,
Colville Bay oysters with aqua-green shells are farmed in the waters of
When enjoying a raw oyster Robbie Moore of Brackley Bay Oysters reminds
SUMMER 2022 www.pei-living.ca
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