I'm originally from Long Island, NY - between the Great South Bay and the Long Island Sound, we had a never-ending supply of fresh seafood like lobster, clams, crabs, and oysters. And when I say fresh, I mean you could buy it an hour or so after it came out of the water. Here in TX, when things like oysters are available, they've been packed in ice and shipped cross-country.
Oysters are actually grown on farms in the waters off Long Island - the farmers cultivate them, harvest them, and seed for the next season. COVID-19 has shut down a lot of restaurants and reduced the demand for oysters. The farmers can leave their oysters in the water, but then they continue to grow - and diners have become accustomed to the little cup-shaped oyster shells. Imagine an oyster as big as your hand:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/want-help-save-oyster-industry-eat-bigger-ones-some-farmers-n1212436
Oh, and although I lived on Long Island for 60 years and have attended oyster festivals there, I have no idea how to shuck an oyster and would probably injure myself trying to do so. |
