Undercover Oyster: Are You Getting the Oyster You Asked For?

The Old Oyster Factory, Hilton Head Island, SC
Picture courtesy of the restaurant.

On a whim, my family took a last minute trip to Hilton Head Island, SC, for a final farewell to summer. Always on the hunt for new oysters, we decided to give The Old Oyster Factory a try. A bit off the beaten path, it's a staple of the island and the view is absolutely worth the drive. 

There were four oysters on the menu:
- Blue Point (Connecticut)
- Malpeque (PEI, Canada)
- Snow's Cove (Brooksville, Maine)
- Gulf Coast Oysters


I had never tried a Snow's Cove from the Bagaduce River in Maine, so I excitedly ordered a half dozen. Here's what they brought:

Can you name these oysters?

Sigh. They weren't Snow's Cove oysters. Snow's Cove oysters are know for their consistent shape and size. These oysters are Gulf oysters that cost $9 for a half dozen. Snow's Cove oysters cost $12.

Interestingly, when I asked the server which type of oyster was on the plate, she didn't say either Gulf or Snow's Cove.  She told me they were Malpeques from Canada. Hmm....

Malpeque Oyster Shell

Politely, I sent the oysters back - and quickly the manager appeared with a full dozen oysters to make up for it. Only, the second plate of oysters weren't Snow's Cove either. They were Malpeques ... and I didn't send them back. I love them and my husband was eager to eat. 

I've been served the wrong oysters before, but this time it really got me thinking: How often are restaurants serving the wrong oysters?  What can you do about it?

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WHY THE MIX-UP?

1. Oysters are complicated. And many restaurants do not adequately educate their servers about oysters. A lot of oysters look alike. It's easy to get them mixed up. However, restaurants, such as The Old Oyster Factory, that serve only four varieties a night (three of which are staples), should require every server, barring an allergy, to try each of the oysters and to be schooled in their description and taste.  On the flip side, restaurants with a wide variety of oysters seem to get it.  At Aquagrill in NYC for example, the bartender is a connoisseur of oysters.  She can describe and identify every oyster (dozens of them) on the plate and match individual oysters to individual tastes. (I'm not picking on The Old Oyster Co. They are certainly not alone. But it does bug me a bit when a restaurant includes "Oyster" in its name and doesn't respect oysters enough to get it right every time.) 

2. Oysters are expensive. Some restaurants try to save a little money by substituting cheaper oysters for more expensive ones. This shouldn't be a surprise.  A couple of years ago, you may remember that The Boston Globe wrote an eye-opening article about restaurants trying to pass off cheaper fish for more expensive fish.  For five months, they collected fish from 134 restaurants in the greater Boston area and found, based on DNA tests, that almost 50% of the fish were mislabeled on the menu. Could the same be for oysters?   

Oyster Stew reached out to Oceana, an international organization focused solely on ocean conservation, to see if more common oysters were being switched with boutique oysters.  Beckie Zisser, who serves as the Ocean Advocate for Oceana’s Responsible Fishing and Seafood Fraud Campaigns, had this to say about tracking oysters in the U.S.:  

“Oysters already have tracking requirements that are close to the kind of traceability we want for all fish.  Because of the threat of shellfish contamination, which poses a more serious health risk than contaminated finfish (according to the FDA), FDA has implemented a tracking system specifically for all in-shell molluscan shellfish ... For in-shell molluscan shellfish like oysters, harvesters are required to affix a tag or provide a shipping document that displays the quantity, type, harvest date and location, and the harvester’s identity.  Without such a tag, shellfish can be seized or refused entry at the border.  Processors in the supply chain are required to document that the tag requirements have been met by retaining records that reflect all information from the tag, and the tag follows the product throughout the supply chain.  Once the oyster is processed, however, that’s where the data transmission stops, so depending on where in the supply chain that processing happens, this system can have a range of value.  It also doesn’t cover transporters or retailers.  These flaws notwithstanding, it’s still significantly more traceability than other seafood is required to have.”  Check out more on Beckie's blog at http://oceana.org/en/blog/240.

The point is that even with checks along the way, there's no way to keep distributors or restaurants from knowingly or unknowingly mislabeling oysters. As a result, it can be tempting for restaurants to serve inexpensive Gulf oysters in place of high-end oysters.

3. Restaurants are at the mercy of their distributors.  Even the most oyster-savvy managers and chefs have a difficult time telling the difference between similar oysters. Further, it takes an extra step to make sure the oyster variety matches the oyster farm.

I think (hope) that was the case during a late night oyster snack at Restaurant Thalias (828 Eighth Ave.) in New York City.  There, I ordered three oysters: Nootka Sound, Malpeque, and Royal Miyagi (WA).  Royal Miyagi oysters, highly prized, are fantastic. They also come from British Columbia, not Washington. There are wonderful Miyagi varieties that come from Washington, but not Royal Miyagis.  I emailed the restaurant with my concerns. No one responded. Again, I don't think the restaurant was trying to dupe anyone. They probably listed the oyster as the distributor told them to. 

It's get even more messy when the oyster growers themselves don't agree on the origin of a certain oyster. For example, according to Blue Island Oyster Co., genuine Blue Point oysters are only grown in the Great South Bay in New York. Not so, say the folks at Tallmadge Brothers, based in Connecticut. They have been growing Blue Point oysters for decades. Other "Blue Points" are grown in Virginia and Maryland. Great - that helps none.

Check out which "Blue Point" Thalia put on the menu. 

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5 WAYS TO HELP ENSURE THAT THE OYSTER ON YOUR PLATE IS THE OYSTER YOU ORDERED 

Please don't stop ordering oysters in a restaurant! Most restaurants get it right and want you to have a great experience. But, if you want to be sure, I suggest you do the following:

1. SIZE MATTERS. Determine if the oyster is an East Coast oyster or a West Coast oyster.  In general, West Coast oysters are smaller in size than East Coast oysters.  East Coast oysters get bigger as they go down the coast: Maine oysters are smallest, Gulf oysters are biggest.  There are exceptions, of course.  Malpeques from Canada can grow quite big before going to market; several PEI oysters grow larger.

2. ASK ABOUT TASTE.  Before ordering your oyster, ask the server how big the oysters are and if they are sweet or salty. At least you will have a general idea how the oyster should taste and will be able to compare to the original description. 

3. KNOW YOUR SHUCKER. Not all oyster restaurants are created equal and not all shuckers are good shuckers.  Get to know the men and women who are shucking the oysters.  They will know which oysters are looking the freshest and if new varieties have come in. If you are visiting a restaurant for the first time, check out the oyster bar. Are oysters shucked out in the open or the oysters are shucked in the kitchen?  The Old Oyster Factory shucks in the kitchen so it's hard to see the oysters before, during and after they are shucked.

4. THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT. Download my favorite oyster app - Oysterpedia - from the folks at The Mermaid Inn. The app divides oysters by West Coast and East Coast. Each oyster entry includes a picture, where the oyster is harvested from, how it tastes, and provides a little background on the oyster. I always use it to double check oysters I am not familiar with. Available on iTunes and Google Play.

5. STAYED TUNED TO OYSTER STEW. Shameless plug. Read Oyster Stew weekly. Our oyster and oyster restaurant reviews are easy to understand. We also try to give you valuable tips about ordering oysters. Coming soon: an oyster directory.

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Despite the oyster mixup, we enjoyed The Old Oyster Factory. The view really is spectacular and I'd recommend a visit next time you are in Hilton Head. It's also really close to Zip Line Hilton Head.

The Old Oyster Factory
101 Marshland Road

Hilton Head, SC  29926

843.681.6040

www.oldoysterfactory.com