Foods A-Z - O is for Oysters

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An oyster is a salt-water bivalve mollusk. Some types can be eaten raw or cooked. Cultured pearls are produced in pearl oysters by usually placing a bit of polished mussel shell inside the oyster. A pearl is produced in 3-7 years. Windowpane oysters are prized for their translucent shells which are used to make a variety of decorative items. Middens (old dumps) show that oysters were an important food source as much as 10,000 years ago. Oysters have been cultivated in Japan since at least 2,000 B.C. In the United States in the early 19th century, oysters were cheap and eaten by the middle class. As supplies diminished in the early 20th centuries, prices rose; and oysters were considered an expensive delicacy. Oysters can be eaten on the half shell raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled or used in a variety of drinks. Photo Credit: Pixabay