What Do Oysters Taste Like? Do They Taste Good?
Oysters are one of the most superior seafood due to their taste and nutritional values, making them an expensive but desirable fish dish. Today, I want to concentrate on their preference. Do oysters taste good? How do they taste?
Oysters taste like a piece of the sea due to their liquid inside the shell, the salty and brine taste, and their jelly form. But oysters also have dozen of other organoleptic attributes. You can feel earthy notes like vegetal tastes, herbs, and seaweed. Oysters have a complex taste, and that’s what makes them unique.
Now that you know that oysters are worth eating read more for some fantastic ideas on the toppings of oysters or easy side dishes to accompany it. I have to warn you, some of the ideas are just amazing.
How Would You Describe the Taste of Oysters?
The taste of oysters is perceived differently by other people. The significant component felt in the taste of oysters is the saltiness. You can distinguish the brine taste very intense. On the other hand, you can feel some sugary in it. Not very strong, but it’s noticeable.
The oysters are characterized by many different flavors that change from one oyster to another and from one person to another. Overall, it has a very sophisticated taste, and you have to be aware that you may not be able to feel all the smells and taste there, and that’s fine.
Do Oysters Taste Good?
The people here are divided into two categories: some people do not find them very enjoyable to consume, but most people like and enjoy eating oysters. Every time I think about oysters, I remember a french poet who describes tasting oysters like kissing the sea on the lips.
All descriptions about oysters characterize their taste as superior to almost anything else. Most consumers perceive them as the definition of freshness in the mouth and heavily delicious.
What Do Raw Oysters Taste Like?
Because oysters are carried out of the sea with their shell, they have some dominant oceanic taste: mussel presence, barnacles, and seaweed. The liquor present in the shell boosts the pure essence of the sea in our plates.
The prominent taste in oysters is salt and metallic but also has a sugar presence. What makes this product unique is the diversity of flavors. The more you consume it, the more you understand that oysters are not similar to each other in their tastes.
This makes you have an unusual experience every time you consume them. Some flavors might include varying levels of minerality, richness, saltiness, vegetal flavors like cucumber, seaweed, lettuce, herbs and some hints of green melon, and some earthy notes.
Although, you will also feel very strongly the taste of the marinade or the dressing used to accompany oysters which may contain apple vinegar, lime, or fresh herbs.
What Do Fried Oysters Taste Like?
The good news about fried oysters is that they stay soft and keep all organoleptic attributes in the maximum possible on the inside. So you will still feel the saltiness and a little sweetness, and on the outside, the oysters will be crispy and more robust.
But in the end, that is what we expect to experience when we choose fried seafood: the crispiness on the outside and the softness on the inside.
Are Oysters Alive When Eaten?
This depends on how you are consuming them. Of course, many recipes require cooking techniques like baking or grilling oysters. But you are consuming them raw; I can assure you that oysters are alive probably more than any other natural food you may consume in your life.
The liquid inside it helps oysters stay alive for as much as possible. According to research, it is essential for the oysters to be as much alive as possible to reduce the risk of catching the bacteria found in oysters.
Another reason to consume them alive is to obtain the most flavors and perceive the tastes better. Maybe this may not be an enjoyable idea for some people, but it’s up to your choice.
What Is the Texture of Oysters?
The oysters in their texture are very similar to mussels, as they are part of the same family but still not identical. Firstly oysters are considered a unique product because of their asymmetric shell. You may visualize their symmetric cuts if you think of almost any other fish or seafood. However, in the case of oysters, they have an irregular and asymmetric shape.
And inside oyster shape is again similar to mussels in form, but the color is different. The color of oysters is transparent white, and beside the oysters, the shell contains a liquid that helps the oyster stay alive after it’s out of the sea.
Do You Chew or Just Swallow Oysters?
It is possible to do both, but you can only feel the full complex tastes of oyster (and any other food) by biting it. So my question at this point is: what is the point of just swallowing it? Eating hits different if you enjoy the whole tasting experience. Take your time to chew and feel all the different flavors there. Even the oysters liquid is worth consuming.
Are Oysters Slimy?
Yes, one of the main texture characteristics of oysters is sliminess. Oysters can easily slip from your fork when trying to eat, so be careful. Sometimes just with sushi, it needs some practice to consume the oysters.
What to Serve With Oysters?
The most critical value of seafood like oysters is their freshness. When consuming those types of products is all about freshness. You want to feel it and enjoy it in the most straightforward way possible. The queen of the table has to be the oyster. You have to keep a clean taste in your mouth not to lose the organoleptic attributes of oysters. For this matter, the ingredients you can serve with it will be pretty essential.
Fresh baguette
In my opinion, fresh bread is the best friend of raw products. So make sure to buy some fresh local bread, possibly produced on that day, crispy outside but fresh from inside. The best option will be the baguette, as you can cut it in small slices. Baguette originates from France, but nowadays, many bakeries produce their authentic version with seeds or herbs.
Green salad
A simple salad with a mix of green leaves can suit very nicely with oysters—some rockets, icebergs, and cabbages mixed with olive oil and some drops of Aceto balsamico. So here you have a light salad ready to accompany your oysters and the fresh bread.
Another option for a fresh salad is a mix of red and white coleslaw, carrots, and some onion. Finally, you can add a homemade dressing of mayonnaise and vinegar.
Quinoa
Cold and straightforward quinoa can also work perfectly as a side dish for oysters. The mild taste of quinoa adds value to your table without getting the attention of oysters. Cook it with olive oil and some vegetables like green pepper and zucchini.
Beverages
Gin
Many gin types can perfectly suit oysters due to their composition with flowery and botanical smells and flavors. Not only that, but also the touch of brine from the oysters compensate for the presence of floral smells in gin. But be careful not to choose a strong flavor gin as it may destroy the balance between components.
Champagne
For a more exclusive touch to your meal, you can choose to accompany with a glass of good champagne. The acidic taste and bubbles create bitterness in champagne needed in a product like oysters. However, all the compounds in champagne do not compete with the saltiness of the oysters, so for as long as you choose soft champagne, it should work just fine.
Tequila
If you want to spice it up a little with the serving of oysters or maybe to make it a little atypic, then dare and serve it with tequila. It can be an excellent match if you enjoy tequila. The strongness in tequila helps the flavors of oysters to be pronounced easily while eating. Tequila is also an ingredient in preparing some cooked oysters recipes.
Wine
What about wine? Yes, why not! All kinds of wine? Maybe not. As the most basic rule for seafood, they match better with white wines. In the case of oysters, rather than a sweet variety that can dominate your senses, I would propose to go for a dry and acidic variety. Not very strong, but cold.
Cocktails
Follow your vibe and my bits of advice for the mentioned alcohols and create your cocktail. Choose some tropical fruits juice to mix it and give the drink some fruity notes or some alcohol mixed with basil. For example, you can mix tequila with grapefruit and lime. Or, if you want the base of your cocktail to be a gin, then mixing gin, orange, and lemon juice can also be a good option. Overall, if you keep one of the mentioned alcohols, you can experiment with tastes and create your unique flavor.
What Are Some Oyster Toppings?
Beverages
Try gin and tonic water mixed with some lemon juice or cucumber. It May sound a little weird as a topping, but it’s very delicious. If gin is an excellent fit to drink it with oysters, why not put it on top? But if you do it, don’t choose it again as the accompanying alcohol.
Another topping with alcohol selections would be to mix some chopped green apples with white sparkling wine and orange zest. Lighter than gin but again an exquisite selection
Lemon and salt
The more classical, more common, and in my view, one of the best toppings ever is lemon and salt. To give the oysters a simple salty and acidic taste, you can still get the original taste without being dominated by secondary flavors.
Asian pear
Have you ever heard of Asian pear? If you love Asian cuisine, then maybe yes. And again, if you love Asian cuisine, you will love this topping also. Dice the Asian pear, mix it with lime zest and juice, and a little fresh ginger. You will have a sweet and bitter but very juicy topping.
Butter and basil
Melted butter and basil: this duo is heaven on earth and fits good if you want to grill oysters. Keep the butter at room temperature; mix it with basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, and garlic. Then put it in small quantities in the oysters and put them on the grill.
Mango
Oysters can taste very nice with some tropical fruits, for example, mango. Make sure to dice the mango into small pieces finely. Mix it with white wine vinegar and some red bell pepper also diced very finely and added some fresh pepper. The saltiness of oysters and the sweetness of mango together work finely.
Wasabi and pickled ginger
We are not talking about sushi; we are still at oysters. Combine 1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise with wasabi paste and one tbs hot water in a bowl. Mix them and put some pink pickled ginger. Very spicy but worth it.
Tomato juice and tabasco sauce
Last but not least, but very piquant is the topping with tomato sauce and tabasco. Put those together and add some horseradish, and you will have a topping ready to burn all your guests.
Are Oysters Good for the Health?
One of the best values of oysters is the nutritional chart. A dozen oysters can have less than 100 calories, but it has the same quantity as a 100-gram steak when comparing the protein levels. It also contains a significant amount of calcium and iron. [1] A dozen oysters have the same calcium level as a glass of milk for a better understanding.
They are a good source of energy. It is considered a product with a cocktail of vitamins like vitamin B12, B1, B2, C, A. A combination of all those vitamins helps the metabolism the DNA replication, and it improves your mood and fights depression.
