Today, I decided to revisit the Riptide Oyster as our harvester was so proud of how big and hearty they were getting.  He was not wrong in both respects! They scored pretty high across the board… great shell shape for the most part. The only reason they didn’t score a 5 was because of the few that were a little curved at the hinge, but overall looked great. They are a very easy shuck as they pop right open after a gentle push into the hinge. Meat was hearty for sure. The heavy tides that run through this area have brought a good food source and, in turn, some great growth! In terms of flavor, these are not for people that prefer the mild, sweet flavor. They are quite salty with a strong mineral finish. Very bold oyster right now!

I went with the Hood Canal Oyster for West Coast this week, which we are seeing for the first time in a couple of months. There are a lot of oysters that hail from this popular Washington State harvest area, but these really stood out as a premium oyster. Typically, a lot of West Coast oysters do not rank very well with shell shape, but these were quite consistent. I gave them a 4 out of 5 for the few that were a little misshapen and not quite as uniform. They were very easy to open and once they were,  the meats looked beautiful. The meat is a very pretty color and fills the shell completely. Further, they have this fruity smell to them and tasted just like it.  I compared it to watermelon bubble gum! Yummy!