Sample story -- Concept, story and photos by Gail Oberst
Oregon's Aphrodisiac -- Oregon Coast magazine
Recent studies show that there might be some truth to the legend of the sexy oyster
By Gail Oberst
If you’re thinking Valentine’s Day aphrodisiacs are all about chocolates and wine, you may be overlooking a sexy treat native to the Oregon coast: The delicious oyster is a local and delicious treat for sweethearts in February, or almost any time of year.
The love of oysters is as old as mankind, but was traditional fare in the seaside working-class pubs of London and Ireland when Oregon was still a twinkle in Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo’s eye. In the old country, when seaside pub patrons got hungry, they drank their ales with a pail of oysters scraped from the bottom of the bays nearby. Sound familiar? It’s a rare Oregon Coast pub that doesn’t serve oyster shooters with its pints these days.
Back in jolly old Europe, chocolate was the stuff of kings until Dutch innovations in the 1800s brought it to the general public. But in February of 1600, you wouldn’t have found chocolate Valentine treats in the hands of most working folks, old or new world.
So did pre-1800s lovers bring their darlings oysters in a ribbon-festooned box? Probably not. But maybe in a pail.
Fast-forward a couple of centuries.
I’m hanging out with Xin Liu at Yaquina Bay’s Oregon Oyster Farms near Newport. As he talks to me about oysters, I suddenly realize that, although I’ve eaten them since birth, I know very little about them. Liu, manager of an oyster farm that’s been operating here since 1907, gives me a quick lesson. Oregon’s ocean and bays, Liu tells me, favor three commercial kinds of oysters – the tiny and rare native Ostrea lurida, called the Yaquina or Olympia oyster, is the oyster the pioneers found when they arrived (and promptly depleted) in the 1800s; the Crassostrea gigas or Pacific oyster, imported from Japan, is one of the most common oysters grown commercially in Oregon, and the Crassostrea sikamea or Kumamoto oysters, is a newer Japanese oyster that also grows well in Pacific waters. All of these oysters take on the characteristics and often the names of the waters in which they are grown. For example, estuary oysters are generally creamier and less briny than their marine-grown relatives, Liu tells me.
If you don’t want to make the drive up the Yaquina River to taste Oregon Oyster Farm oysters, just stop in at any of the Mo’s restaurants along the coast. Mo’s partner company, Newport Pacific Corporation, now owns Oregon Oyster Farms and features its products in its famous oyster cocktails.
If you’re up the coast, near Bay City, stop in at the Pacific Seafood’s Fish Peddler restaurant and seafood market. The Fish Peddler started out as a small soup bar and seafood counter in front of the oyster processing plant. Today, after watching the oysters being shucked, you can sit in the full-service restaurant and eat them up, fresh from the sea or estuary.
But enough of cuisine. Let’s get back to the sex. Are oysters really aphrodisiacs? Maybe.
SEXY SCIENCE
A report to the American Chemical Society in 2005 suggested that oysters are rich in rare amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones ... in rats. Scientists identified two unusual amino acids at high levels in springtime oysters - D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) – both of which in tests with lab rats produced a chain reaction ending in testosterone production in males, and progesterone production in females. The levels of the amino acids are highest when the oysters themselves are breeding. The oysters must be eaten raw for best results, according to the report. Cooking reduces, but doesn’t eliminate, the rare amino acids.
So could it be true that oysters were behind the legendary trysts of Casanova? Did King Henry the VIII really eat 400 oysters before dinner in an effort to get his kingdom a healthy son? Does an increase in D-Asp and NMDA have the same impact on humans as it did on rats?
Wouldn’t hurt to try!
Most of the raw oysters you’ll find in coastal restaurants come cloaked in cocktail sauce; but my advice is to venture out to the growers, like Yaquina Bay’s farm near Newport, or Pacific Seafood’s Fish Peddler in Bay City, and request the fresh-shucked, unadorned oyster slurped straight from the shell. If you don’t get an immediate rise from the food, rest assured that, at minimum, you’re getting a healthy bite: oysters are not only low in fat, calories and cholesterol, but they are also high in protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc and vitamin C. The nutrients alone might get your motor running.
A report to the American Chemical Society in 2005 suggested that oysters are rich in rare amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones ... in rats. Scientists identified two unusual amino acids at high levels in springtime oysters - D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) – both of which in tests with lab rats produced a chain reaction ending in testosterone production in males, and progesterone production in females. The levels of the amino acids are highest when the oysters themselves are breeding. The oysters must be eaten raw for best results, according to the report. Cooking reduces, but doesn’t eliminate, the rare amino acids.
So could it be true that oysters were behind the legendary trysts of Casanova? Did King Henry the VIII really eat 400 oysters before dinner in an effort to get his kingdom a healthy son? Does an increase in D-Asp and NMDA have the same impact on humans as it did on rats?
Wouldn’t hurt to try!
Most of the raw oysters you’ll find in coastal restaurants come cloaked in cocktail sauce; but my advice is to venture out to the growers, like Yaquina Bay’s farm near Newport, or Pacific Seafood’s Fish Peddler in Bay City, and request the fresh-shucked, unadorned oyster slurped straight from the shell. If you don’t get an immediate rise from the food, rest assured that, at minimum, you’re getting a healthy bite: oysters are not only low in fat, calories and cholesterol, but they are also high in protein, iron, omega 3 fatty acids, calcium, zinc and vitamin C. The nutrients alone might get your motor running.
RECIPES
Recipes are from Pacific Seafood, parent company of the Fish Peddler, Bay City. For more recipes, visit www.pacseafood.com/recipes.
Fried Oysters
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 - 8 oz fresh-shucked SeaRock Pacific oysters
White Flour
1 Egg Panko breading (or your favorite breading)
Canola oil (or any high heat oil - olive oil not recommended)
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Drain Liquor from the oysters and pat dry
Put flour in a dish with salt and pepper. (Add garlic or ginger powder to your taste).
Mix enough egg and milk to dip your oysters, and scramble well.
Dip oyster first in flour; dredge in the egg and milk and last coat with the Panko.
Shake excess breading off.
Put about ½ inch of oil (a spoonful of butter if you like) in a frying pan and turn to medium high. Make sure pan is hot before placing oysters in it.
Place oysters in the hot pan and cook 45 to 60 seconds per side or until breading is golden brown.
After cooking, place the oyster on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve immediately.
Oyster Stew
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 - 8 oz bags fresh-shucked SeaRock oysters
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cube butter
4 cups cream or Half and Half
¼ cup red pepper, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter at medium heat and add the celery and green onions. Sauté until translucent.
Add oysters with liquor and sauté until plump, don’t overcook.
Add the cream and cook until cream is hot. Do not burn.
Season to taste (add garlic powder for a little zing).
Serve in a large bowl and add the diced red peppers.
Add a pad of butter in the bowl for richer flavor.
IF YOU GO
Most of the following oyster farms have viewing and tasting areas for visitors. Call first: Hours may vary during winter months.
Oregon Oyster Farm, 6878 Yaquina Bay Road, Newport
541-265-5078
The Fish Peddler at Pacific Seafood, 5150 Oyster Dr., Bay City
503-377-2323
Umpqua Aquaculture, 723 Ork Rock Road, Winchester Bay
541-271-5684
Clausen Silverpoint Oysters, 66234 North Bay Road, North Bend
541- 756-3600
Recipes are from Pacific Seafood, parent company of the Fish Peddler, Bay City. For more recipes, visit www.pacseafood.com/recipes.
Fried Oysters
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 - 8 oz fresh-shucked SeaRock Pacific oysters
White Flour
1 Egg Panko breading (or your favorite breading)
Canola oil (or any high heat oil - olive oil not recommended)
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Drain Liquor from the oysters and pat dry
Put flour in a dish with salt and pepper. (Add garlic or ginger powder to your taste).
Mix enough egg and milk to dip your oysters, and scramble well.
Dip oyster first in flour; dredge in the egg and milk and last coat with the Panko.
Shake excess breading off.
Put about ½ inch of oil (a spoonful of butter if you like) in a frying pan and turn to medium high. Make sure pan is hot before placing oysters in it.
Place oysters in the hot pan and cook 45 to 60 seconds per side or until breading is golden brown.
After cooking, place the oyster on paper towels to drain excess oil. Serve immediately.
Oyster Stew
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 - 8 oz bags fresh-shucked SeaRock oysters
1 celery stalk, chopped
½ bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cube butter
4 cups cream or Half and Half
¼ cup red pepper, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Melt butter at medium heat and add the celery and green onions. Sauté until translucent.
Add oysters with liquor and sauté until plump, don’t overcook.
Add the cream and cook until cream is hot. Do not burn.
Season to taste (add garlic powder for a little zing).
Serve in a large bowl and add the diced red peppers.
Add a pad of butter in the bowl for richer flavor.
IF YOU GO
Most of the following oyster farms have viewing and tasting areas for visitors. Call first: Hours may vary during winter months.
Oregon Oyster Farm, 6878 Yaquina Bay Road, Newport
541-265-5078
The Fish Peddler at Pacific Seafood, 5150 Oyster Dr., Bay City
503-377-2323
Umpqua Aquaculture, 723 Ork Rock Road, Winchester Bay
541-271-5684
Clausen Silverpoint Oysters, 66234 North Bay Road, North Bend
541- 756-3600