recipes & tips

We’ve all heard it before: A few oysters may just do the trick to arouse sexual desire and intensify pleasure. And, there’s no better day than Valentine’s Day to see if it’s all true. You certainly have nothing to lose, so why not! My favorite oysters are the smallest ones available, topped with a light mignonette sauce. With thousands of miles of shoreline, the United States and Canada offer oyster lovers a rich supply of oysters to satisfy your tastes. If you’re not sure what to buy, the information below will help you. Tip: Have them shucked at the market and keep them on ice in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Apalachicola. An Atlantic oyster with a teardrop-shaped shell and a sweet, coppery flavor.

Belon. Perhaps the best known. The true Belon is a European from the Belon River in Brittany in northern France. European flat oysters raised in Maine and New Hampshire are also called Belon. They have a lemony, slightly metallic taste.

Bluepoint. Although originally named for Blue Point, Long Island, where these oysters once flourished, the Bluepoint is a generic name for a small Atlantic oyster.

Bristol. A plump salty oyster from Maine.

Chincoteague. A crisp, sweet oyster from Chincoteague Bay in eastern Virginia.

Golden Mantle. A small delicate oyster with a pale gold shell from Vancouver, B.C.

Hawaiian. Raised in farms in Hawaii, these are plump, sweet, and firm with a high meat-to-shell ratio.

Kent Island. Also known as Chesapeake Bay oysters and found from Maryland to Virginia, these have a mild, clean, and sweet flavor.

Kumamoto. A tiny, deep-cupped Pacific hybrid cultivated in California and Washington; very mild with a sweet aftertaste.

Malpeque. A small oyster with a coppery taste from Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Olympia. Rarely larger than a quarter, this delicate oyster comes from Washington’s Puget Sound.

Quilcene. A crisp oyster with bright, bracing flavor; from Washington.

Westcott Bay and Westcott Bay Petite. A very meaty, mild, and sweet oyster with a slightly metallic aftertaste, from San Juan Island, Washington.