Oyster Varietals - CHOW Tip

John Finger, co-owner of Hog Island Oyster Company, describes the flavor of three major oyster species: Pacific, Atlantic, and Kumamoto. If you know what you like, ordering at restaurants is easy.

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TRANSCRIPT
You have different types of oysters, different species of oysters, just like you have a different wine grape and then you have different growing areas or bays that will both influence the flavor. In general, Pacific's are fuller bodied. They're a little bit more intense in flavor. They actually have sometimes a sweet finish. The Atlantic's grown out here, in this bay, tend to have a more minerally, briney, taste to them. The Kumamoto's have, what a lot of people say is a very mild, sweet taste. A melon comes to mind. It's a great starter oyster. What I like to tell people is if you go somewhere and have an oyster you really like ask, first and foremost, what variety it is and then ask where it's from so you kind of gauge what is pleasing your palate.