Oyster Poetry

OK, so I'll start this off, and would love to have contributions from blog visitors.

A Dozen

You can rest easy
Standing, seated
Say what you will
Eat as you like
Stay awhile, or not
What's important
What's not political, and is
Is right here
In front of you, and me
To share ...
A dozen

Why are oysters a keystone species?

Without oysters many coastal ecosystems would collapse. Each oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day. A healthy oyster bed can  dramatically improve water quality, in addition to cycling water between the water column and bottom-dwelling species. In Louisiana and other Gulf states, they are considered crucial to coastal restoration.

Here's how some smart folks in Mobile are utilizing oyster shells to help restore the health of Mobile Bay: Alabama oyster bed restoration among first since Gulf oil spill

Wine and Beer / Oyster Pairings

I've been thinking about which wines and beers pair well with raw oysters. Conventional wisdom is that it's the crisp, dry, clean-finishing wines which work well. I would assert, however, that it greatly depends on the oyster. What may work beautifully with a Royal Miyagi may not pair well with an Atlantic or Olympia. The saltiness, brininess (which I distinguish from saltiness), creaminess/butteriness, sweetness, metallic quality, and other flavor profiles such as cucumber, seaweed, kiwi, etc., all must influence the sort of interaction which occurs with a beer or wine on the palate. Texture and temperature (of oyster and libation) would obviously also be a major factor.  Picpoul, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris are grape varieties which tend to get used a lot, but are they best. What do you think? I'll post some of my favorites here.

I'll begin with a beer pairing. One of my favorite combinations for moderately briny Pacific oyster is Pilsner Urquell, which I find stands up without overpowering, possibly due to the high carbonation and mild hoppiness.

Oyster Quote of the day

"Oysters are the most tender and delicate of all seafoods. The stay in bed all day and night. They never work or take exercise, are stupendous drinkers, and wait for their meals to come to them."
Hector Bolitho 'The Glorious Oyster' (1960)

Choupique on top

OK, oyster lovers who aren't from Southeast Louisiana may not be aware of the beauty that is "Choupique," the black bowfin fish (even more ancient than the Sturgeon) which produces a wonderful row. It used to be fairly inexpensive, and you'd sometimes hear it referred to as "Cajun" caviar.  Neither is now the case. It can now be ordered online, and it's not cheap ... generally around $10-$15/ounce. As far as I know, it has to remain refrigerated, and is seasonal to the winter months around here.  There might be other areas producing it that I'm not aware of. It pairs particularly nicely with raw oysters, as the shiny, firm, naturally black eggs are light in flavor, and don't overpower our local bivalves.

Oyster facts

Here's a tidbit, thanks to Ilene Polansky.

"There is no way of telling male oysters from females by examining their shells. While oysters have separate sexes, they may change sex one or more times during their life span. The gonads, organs responsible for producing both eggs and sperm, surround the digestive organs and are made up of sex cells, branching tubules and connective tissue."

Can coastal restoration and oyster beds coexist?

I find it's amazing that there are still people who make a mutually-exclusive argument, one way or the other. Of course they can coexist. We need well-funded smart people to figure out exactly how to make it work, but at least Earl Melancon Jr. has the right attitude:

"I think things have gotten to a level of action that we've not seen before because we're starting to see money pumped into the state, from one source or another," said Earl Melancon Jr., a professor of biological sciences at Nicholls State University who is assisting the state with the coastal restoration master plan revisions. "What I am glad to see is that finally things have moved to the point where there's the reality that some of this stuff is going to happen. ... I am seeing now, finally, more and more discussion in terms of 'Just how are we going to change the estuaries?' Now we're talking about 'Is there a way to have your cake and eat it too?' I'm of the opinion that if you're willing to manage things properly, you can."

The question is whether politics will get in the way.

Louisiana oyster industry struggles to cope with oil spill, coastal restoration efforts