074 // 075 The Science of Fish and Seafood

Why do we
EAT OYSTERS RAW?
Cooking breaks down proteins in animal flesh, but this is
a bad thing when it comes to molluscs, such as oysters.

The flavor of most foods improves
with cooking: proteins break down
into their component parts (amino
acids) to stimulate the taste buds,
starches break down into sweeter
sugars, tough fibers weaken, textures
firm, and excess moisture is driven
off. This is not true for shellfish
such as oysters and razor clams; their
flavor ebbs away with each minute
of cooking.
Molluscs, unlike most fish (see
pp66–7), use flavor-containing amino
acids, especially glutamate, to help
them survive the dehydrating effects
of the salty sea. Glutamate stimulates
the umami taste receptors on the
tongue (see pp14–15), giving them a
savory, meaty flavor. Cooking oysters
and clams traps these tasty
molecules in the tangle of
cooking, coagulating
muscle proteins, masking
them from the taste buds.
The only way to release
them again would be by
cooking for long enough
to break apart the proteins.
But by that time, the
shellfish would have the
consistency of rubber.
Common oysters
Each oyster species has a specific
flavor profile, but this can vary
depending on where they were
farmed. The species below are the
most commonly available to buy.

ATLANTIC EU RO P E A N KUMAMOTO PACIFIC

A commonly Native to Europe These oysters Now cultivated

cultivated variety in the
US, Atlantic oysters are the
only species native to the
East Coast of North
America. They have a
distinctive, teardrop-
shaped shell.
Taste
They have a salty, clean
flavor with savory and
mineral notes. Crisp texture.
and distinguished by their
flat, shallow shape,
numbers have depleted in
natural breeding grounds
over the 19th and 20th
centuries. Hard to find
outside Europe.
Taste
They have a mild, slightly
metallic flavor, and are
almost crunchy in texture.
originate in Japan, but are
now popular around the
world. They are smaller
than most other oysters,
and take longer to reach
maturity. Their shells are
deep and fluted.
Taste
Milder than other varieties,
they have melon aromas
and a soft texture.
around the world, Pacific
oysters are native to the
Asian Pacific. They were
introduced to the US and
then Europe as native
stocks in these
depleted areas.
Taste
Flavor varies, but Pacific
oysters are generally less
salty than other species.