FARM FRESH FLAVOR

Jonathan Swift was quoted as saying, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster,” and they can be eaten raw, smoked, boiled, fried, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed or grilled.

But everyone who enjoys them agrees that if you are going to eat them raw, the sooner they are eaten after harvesting, the better they taste. Oregon Oyster Farms near Newport can give a taste sensation that many have never experienced. The oysters will never be fresher.

It does take a little mental coaxing to pop a raw oyster in your mouth for the first time. Where they are grown makes a difference. It is no accident where the Oregon Oyster Farm was established back in 1907. Located in Yaquina Bay and upriver from Newport, the site was picked where the submerged, growing oysters will get washed alternately with fresh water and sea water as the tides shift in and out. That kind of location is ideal for developing great-tasting oysters.

For those who are uneasy about trying an oyster, a guided tour of the farm could help. You might be surprised to find out that all oysters are not created equal. In other words if you have seen (and eaten) one oyster you have not seen or tasted them all by any means. There are, around the world, many species of oysters and they are not all edible. Some naturally produce pearls but those oysters are not eaten.

There are some restaurants that feature 12 kinds at their oyster bar. Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, explains the various tastes found in raw oysters. “Raw oysters are regarded like wines in that they have complex flavors that vary greatly among varieties and regions: some taste sweet, others salty or with a mineral flavor, or even melon. The texture is soft and fleshy but crisp. This is often influenced by the water that they are grown in with variations in salinity, mineral and nutrients.” One dozen raw oysters contain approximately 110 calories and are rich in zinc, iron, calcium and vitamin A.

Oregon Oyster farm raises Pacific oysters and a variety of oyster originally from Japan named Kumumoto. A tour can be arranged any time during the working hours; however, it is best to call first to be sure a guide is available. Also if a call is made in advance, sample oysters will be prepared and be available for the guided group. Oysters from these waters are showing up on restaurant menus from Newport to New York, from Portland to Taiwan.

Oregon Oyster Farms is experiencing a boom in new business, including Asian clients, thanks in part to the language skills and knowledge of manager Liu Xin. “The taste is unique. It’s sweeter,” Xin said. “When you eat our oysters, they don’t have that fishy taste.”

The way the bivalves are grown at Oregon Oyster Farms, halfway between Toledo and Newport, is unique, as well. Most oyster farms place the mollusks in the bottom of the water, in bags or loose on the sand. The Yaquina Bay bottom is muddy so Oregon Oyster Farms suspends most of its shellfish on pallets or on ropes instead. The oysters harvested are 1- to 5-years-old depending on what size a particular market demands.