The perfect New Zealand oysters in Cape Town

Raw new zealand oyster in cape town photographed by Susan Wong 2012Most Kenyans, with exceptions to those from Coasto (coastal communities), hardly appreciate a delicious plate of seafood, let alone creatures from the sea that are raw.

Kenyan foodies often gravitate towards plates of grilled meat or pots of stewed versions.  If you thought convincing your dear girlfriends or your beau to a healthy and exotic dinner of sushi was hard enough; try fresh raw oysters.

 

The allure of the perfect oyster

Perhaps it’s their aphrodisiac qualities, salty brine-like liquor or pungent ocean odours.  Maybe it’s their irregular shells, the rough crevices and free-forms mimicking the natural landscapes they inhabit – miniature rocky coastlines.  Is it their shiny, plump and opaque bodies that fill up with glycogen during harvesting time?  Or, perhaps it’s because they’re so fresh that they’re still alive when you slurp them down your throat.  Does any other seafood pack such powerful sense of adventure?

In today’s global food economy, geography is rarely an issue; making it possible for Alaskan crabs to turn up in Sao Paulo, Japanese Bluefin tuna in New York City, and even Chinese Oolong tea in Kenya.  So why not New Zealand Pacific oysters in South Africa?

 

New Zealand Pacific Oysters

I found the perfect New Zealand Pacific Oyster  inCape Town, South Africa.  Still fresh and very much alive, kept in a tank of circulating water at one of the many Ocean Basket franchises, these Pacific oysters tasted as pristine and distinctive as those I sampled in Toronto.  One can only imagine how delicious a fresh half shell would be on the New Zealand coast.

Plump, clean, and slightly sweet – New Zealand oysters have matured into some of the highest quality oysters in the world, supplying some of the best restaurants and hotels.

 

How to eat a raw oyster

There isn’t really a right or wrong way to eating oysters.  If the oysters have been shucked and served on a half shell, simply check if the oyster has been freed from its shell.  If the oyster is still attached to the connector muscle, carefully free it with your fork without spilling the brine.  Once freed, add toppings to taste and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

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