>>>
>>> GOOD
>>> GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO NEW DAY NORTHWEST.
WEST WASHINGTON IS AN OYSTER
LOVERS PARADISE.
LOVERS PARADISE. IF YOU'RE NOT AN EXPERT THE
SHEER NUMBER OF DIFFERENT KINDS
OF OYSTERS CAN BE CONFUSING, SO
TODAY WE HAVE BROUGHT IN SUCH
AN EXPERT TO GIVE US AN OYSTER
101 CLASS, CYNTHIA NIMS JOINS
ME NOW.
ME NOW.
ME NOW. HOW ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE HERE?
THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
>> THIS IS REALLY, LITERALLY,
JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG IN
TERMS OF HOW MANY VARIETIES WE
HAVE AVAILABLE IN WESTERN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. IT IS REALLY PRIME COUNTRY FOR
MOISTURE GROWING.
MOISTURE GROWING. ONE RIGHT OR EVEN CALLED IT
OYSTER NIRVANA.
OYSTER NIRVANA. THERE ARE SO MANY BAYS AND
WATERWAYS. WE HAVE HAD CANAL,
WILL BE BAY.
JUST ENDLESS WATER WEARS WHERE
THESE OYSTER GROW.
>> DO THEY TASTE DIFFERENT?
>> THEY DO.
THE THING ABOUT OYSTERS, WHICH
IS INTERESTING, IS THAT THEY
ARE FILTER FEEDERS.
THAT IS THERE BIOLOGY.
THEY PROCESS 50 GALLONS OF
WATER A DAY.
ALL OF THE PHYTOPLANKTON AND
PLANKTON THEY'RE PULLING IN
ACTUALLY DOES EVENTUALLY
CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR FLAVOR AND
THE TYPE OF WATER THEY ARE IN.
ALL THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
GEOGRAPHY WHERE THEY GROW CAN
HAVE AN IMPACT. THEY ARE MORE
BRINY CLOSER TO THE OCEAN AND
LESS BRINY IN OTHER PLACES.
IT'S KIND OF FASCINATING.
>> YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE
UNTIL YOU TRY.
>> PRETTY MUCH.
I THINK JUST EXPLORING AND
GOING TO THE OYSTER BAR AND
ASKING QUESTIONS AND LEARNING
ABOUT THE TYPES OF OYSTERS THAT
YOU LIKE AND JUST GO FROM THERE
AND LET IT BE AN ADVENTURE.
>> WHAT ARE THE VARIETIES YOU
BROUGHT TODAY.
BROUGHT TODAY. >> THESE ARE PRETTY THEM.
THE OYSTERS.
THE OYSTERS. THIS IS IN OLYMPIA OYSTER.
THIS IS THE ONLY OYSTER,
DESPITE THE FACT SO MANY
OYSTERS GROW WELL IN WASHINGTON
AND ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST,
THESE ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT
ARE NATIVE TO THE REGION.
THESE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR
COUNTLESS GENERATIONS.
COUNTLESS GENERATIONS. >> THOSE ARE BONE SLICES,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? >>
RIGHT? >> THAT IS THERE FULL-SIZE.
THEY NEVER GET SUPERLARGE.
THESE ARE OYSTERS THAT ARE
SUPER POPULAR, ESPECIALLY IN
OYSTER BARS.
OYSTER BARS. THEY ARE A GREAT SLURPING
OYSTER.
OYSTER.
OYSTER. THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT
SPECIES.
SPECIES.
SPECIES. THESE ARE ALL ONE SPECIES FROM
HERE OVER, BUT THEY ARE
EXAMPLES OF HOW GROWING
CONDITIONS, WHERE THEY GREW,
THE WAY THEY WERE PROCESSED ON
THE FARM JUST INDICATES, GIVES
A DIFFERENT SHELL SHAPE AND
COLOR AND ALL THAT KIND OF
STUFF.
STUFF.
STUFF. THESE ARE ALL PACIFIC OYSTERS.
THEY WERE IMPORTED FROM JAPAN.
THEY ARE NOT NATIVE.
THEY CAME IN THE 1920S, BUT
THEY HAVE BECOME NATIVE, SO TO
SPEAK, BECAUSE THEY GROW SO
WELL HERE
WELL HERE
WELL HERE >> SO IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT
YOU'RE ORDERING IN A RESTAURANT
AND YOU JUST ORDER OYSTERS WHAT
WE TYPICALLY GET?
>> IT COULD BE REALLY ANYTHING.
IT WILL PROBABLY BE A PACIFIC
OYSTER, BECAUSE THAT IS THE
LARGE PORTION OF WHAT IS FARMED
AND GROWN IN WASHINGTON STATE,
A PACIFIC OYSTER.
THE MENUS SHOULD, ESPECIALLY IN
THE SEATTLE AREA WHERE WE ARE
REALLY NUTS ABOUT OYSTERS AND
CAROL A LOT ABOUT THE PRODUCT,
IT WILL LIKELY TELL YOU WHAT
KIND IT IS.
IF IT DOESN'T SPECIFY JUST ASK
GENERALLY, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A
HALFSHELL EXPERIENCE, YOU WILL
HAVE IT EITHER ALREADY IN THE
MENU OR THEY WILL KNOW PRETTY
WELL WHERE IT IS FROM.
>> AND THEY CAN TELL YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THEY CAN TELL YOU.
>> I SOMEONE OYSTER TASTING AND
EACH ONE HAD A LITTLE SIGNED BY
IT.
IT.
IT. PRESUMABLY, THE WAY THE PERSON
WAS EXPLAINING WHAT THEY ALL
ARE, SO YOU CAN LOCATE WHAT YOU
LIKE.
LIKE.
LIKE. >>
LIKE. >> I THINK THAT IS HALF THE FUN
, JUST TRYING AS MANY DIFFERENT
TYPES AS YOU LIKE AND THEN,
AGAIN, A GREAT OYSTER BAR WILL
HAVE INFORMATION TO HELP YOU
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR TASTING
AND WHY IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
FLAVOR AND WHY THIS ONE IS
BIGGER THAN THAT ONE.
IT'S PRETTY COOL.
JUST HAVE FUN AND LEARN ALONG
THE WAY.
THE WAY.
THE WAY. >> AND THEN YOU CAN LOCATE WHAT
YOU LIKE, SO WHEN YOU GO TO THE
SEAFOOD PLACE, THE MARKET TO
PICK THEM OUT YOU KNOW YOU'RE
BUYING SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE.
WHAT ARE THESE?
>> LET ME JUST FINISH GOING ON
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. THESE ARE SHIKOKU. THESE ARE
THE TYPE OF OYSTER THAT IS
TUMBLED, WHICH I WON'T GET INTO
THE TECHNICAL DETAILS, BUT IT'S
A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS THIS
REALLY DEEP CUT TO BE FORMED.
THIS WILL HAVE A NICE PLUMP
OYSTER MEAT THAT IS REALLY
DELICIOUS ON THE HALFSHELL.
THESE ARE HOW MAHATMA OYSTERS.
THIS IS A REALLY CLASSIC
LOOKING PACIFIC SHELL.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THE RUFFLING
EDGES.
EDGES.
EDGES. IT
EDGES. IT IS BEAUTIFUL.
THAT IS FROM THE CANAL.
THESE ARE WILL BE BAY OYSTERS.
THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE BEACH AND
THEIR STURDY.
THEIR STURDY. YOU CAN SEE HOW HEAVY THAT
SHELL IS.
SHELL IS.
SHELL IS. >> ARE THEY HARD TO OPEN?
>> THEY CAN BE A LITTLE HARDER
TO OPEN.
TO OPEN.
TO OPEN. SOMETIMES THE FIRMER SHELLS ARE
EASIER, BECAUSE THE SHELLS ARE
EASIER TO PRY APART.
THESE BIG ONES ARE FROM
DISCOVERY BAY.
DISCOVERY BAY. MAYBE LESS OF A SLURPING OYSTER
AND MORE FOR THE GRILL OR PAN
FRYING.
FRYING.
FRYING. LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL SHELL
AND THE RUFFLING.
THAT IS THE CLASSIC PACIFIC
OYSTER.
OYSTER.
OYSTER. >> THESE TWO ARE THE SAME?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. THAT GIVES YOU A LITTLE VARIETY.
I HAVE THESE FOR YOU TO TRY.
THIS IS THE CLASSIC SORT OF
SLURPING OYSTER FOR OYSTER BAR
EXPERIENCE.
EXPERIENCE. THIS IS A SLIGHTLY SMALLER
VERSION, BUT THE SAME AS THIS
HOW MAHATMA FROM HOOD CANAL.
I BROUGHT A LITTLE BIT OF
LEMON.
LEMON.
LEMON. I'M KIND OF A BIG FAN AT THIS
POINT OF JUST NATURAL, JUST
SLURPING THE OYSTER.
>> LET'S TRY ONE.
>> IS IT ALL LOOSENED?
>> IT IS ALL LOOSENED AND
SHOULD BE GOOD.
>> DO I WANT THE BRINE?
>> THAT IS THE BEST WAY.
>> THAT WAS PRETTY BRINY.
>> YEAH?
>> YEAH?
>> YEAH? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT IS LIKE THE OCEAN, FOR SURE.
>> THAT IS THE BEST THING YOU
CAN SAY, THAT IT IS LIKE THE
OCEAN AND TASTES LIKE IT'S
PLACE.
PLACE.
PLACE. IT
PLACE. IT IS A TASTE OF PLACE.
KIND OF A MARIJUANA OF THE SEA
VERSION.
VERSION.
VERSION. IT IS VERY EVIDENT IN TASTING
OYSTERS FROM ALL OVER
WASHINGTON STATE.
WASHINGTON STATE. IT'S KIND OF A FUN.
>> WHAT IS THIS?
>> THAT IS THE HOMA HOMA.
>> I'M GOING TO TRY IT WITH
SOME LEMON JUICE.
I NORMALLY JUST SLURPING THEM
PLAIN.
PLAIN.
PLAIN. WHAT ELSE DO PEOPLE DO TO PUT A
CONDIMENT ON IT?
>> WE WERE JUST CHATTING ABOUT
THE OPTION OF GOING WITH
COCKTAIL SAUCE IF YOU LIKE.
THAT IS A LITTLE BIT, I'M
DEFINITELY NOT A MASTER
SHOCKER, SO COCKTAIL SAUCE IS
AN INTRODUCTORY GARNISH OR
ACCENT FOR A RAW OYSTER IF IT
IS YOUR FIRST TIME AND YOU ARE
GETTING USED TO IT.
I FIND THAT DOES MASK A LOT OF
THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS AND
FLAVORS.
FLAVORS.
FLAVORS. >> BUT HOW WOULD YOU TASTE THE
OYSTER WITH THAT?
>> IF IT'S LIKE THE BEGINNING
OF SOMEONE'S NEW APPRECIATION
FOR RAW OYSTERS I THINK THAT'S
A GREAT STARTING POINT.
AND THEN THINK ABOUT GOING BACK
A LITTLE BIT.
MAY BE A LITTLE LESS COCKTAIL
SAUCE.
SAUCE.
SAUCE. MAY BE JUST A DASH OF TABASCO
AND THEN WORK YOUR WAY TO A
LEMON.
LEMON.
LEMON. I
LEMON. I THINK THAT GETS YOU TO START
APPRECIATING AND TRYING RAW
OYSTERS I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST
IT.
IT.
IT. >>
IT. >> I
IT. >> I LOVE THEM.
I LIKED THIS ONE.
>> THERE IS AN OYSTER FOR
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. >> WHAT WAS THAT ONE?
>> THE HOMA HOMA FROM HOOD
CANAL.
CANAL.
CANAL. RAW OYSTERS IS ONE FABULOUS WAY
TO APPRECIATE THE OYSTER IN ITS
PUREST FORM.
PUREST FORM. BUT THEN THERE IS COOKED
OYSTERS ALSO.
OYSTERS ALSO. I THINK EVEN IF YOU START WITH
COOKED OYSTERS IF SOMEONE IS
COMPLETELY NEW TO THE IDEA OF
EATING OYSTERS I THINK THAT'S A
GREAT STARTING POINT. THE
FLAVORS ARE A LITTLE TEMPERED
WHEN THEY ARE COOKED AND THEY
CAN BE A LITTLE MORE
APPROACHABLE TO THE FIRST TIME
OYSTER EATER.
OYSTER EATER. >> OR YOU COULD JUST GO FOR IT.
>> OR JUST GO FOR IT AND DIVE
IN.
IN.
IN. >>
IN. >> IF
IN. >> IF I'M GOING TO THE SEAFOOD
MARKET AND I WANT TO.
THAT OYSTERS, I KNOW I LIKE
THIS ONE, SO I MIGHT GO AND BY
THAT, BUT HOW MANY QUESTIONS
CAN WE ASK?
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BUY
THEM?
THEM?
THEM? WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
>> ONE THING YOU WANT TO LOOK
FOR IS THAT THEY ARE, OBVIOUS
THE, WELL CARE FOR IN WHEREVER
THE STORE IS.
THERE ARE FRESH TANKS AND SOME
OF THE LOCAL SEAFOOD MARKETS,
WHICH ARE REALLY GREAT.
OTHERWISE, IF THEY ARE ON ICE
YOU GET A SENSE THAT THEY ARE
PLACE THAT CARES ABOUT THE
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT.
PRODUCT. THAT'S A GOOD STARTING POINT.
AND THEN WHEN YOU GET HOME YOU
DEFINITELY WANT TO SEE OYSTERS
THAT THE SHELL IS CLOSED.
AND OYSTER IS ALIVE WHEN IT'S
SHELL IS CLOSED AND IT HELPS
INDICATE IT IS STILL ALIVE.
AS SOON AS AND WE SHOULDICE YOU
DON'T WANT TO BE COOKING OR
EATING IT.
EATING IT. THE CLOSED SHELL IS A BIG
INDICATOR.
INDICATOR. WHEN YOU GET HOME BE SURE THEY
ARE STILL SUPER TIGHTLY CLOSED.
I KNOCKED THEM TOGETHER AND IF
IT SOUNDS LIKE ROCKS LIKE THAT
AS OPPOSED TO A LITTLE HOLLOW
THAT IS A GOOD SIGN.
IF ONE OF THE OYSTERS IN SUB
SOUNDING A LITTLE HOLLOW THAT
MIGHT BE ONE TO PASS ON.
THAT'S A GOOD INDICATION WHEN
YOU GET HOME.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> AT THE MARKET THEY WILL PUT
IT IN A PLASTIC BAG AND CLOSE
IT UP, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT
THEM LEAKING.
THEM LEAKING. THE OYSTERS NEED AIR WHEN YOU
GET HOME, SO OPEN UP THE BAG.
I LIKE TO ROLL DOWN THE EDGES
WERE PUT IT IN THE COLANDER AND
PUT SOME DAMP KITCHEN TOWELS OR
SOMETHING DAMP, BUT NOT WET,
NOT SOPPING WET, ON TOP AND
THEY WILL STILL HAPPY FOR A
COUPLE OF DAYS.
I'M ALWAYS A BIG PROPONENT OF
EAT IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. SHOCKING IS A WHOLE OTHER
MATTER.
MATTER.
MATTER. THERE IS YOUTUBE FOR THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>>> COMING UP, HAVE YOU EVER
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