By Marian Betancourt

Some are sweet and buttery with a clean crisp finish, while others are mild in salinity but full-bodied. Indeed, oysters are often described with the same elevated prose usually reserved for fine wines. But the sensory-rich, adjective-laden vocabulary is not the only thing that oysters and wine have in common. Both wines and oysters express the character of the location in which they were grown, and both carry prestige enough to warrant significant margins. And like wine, the same attributes that make oysters attractive to some make them intimidating to others. (After all, they are one of the very few menu items that can be consumed live.) Oyster farmers rely on knowledgeable restaurant professionals to introduce customers to the product. In fact, about 95 percent of farmed oysters are sold exclusively to restaurants, according to Bob Rheault, executive director of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association and operator of Moonstone Oysters in Rhode Island. Unlike wine, which has been hard hit during the recession, with sales in restaurants having dropped 2.7 percent in 2008 and two percent in the first half of 2009, according to a June article in Brandweek, oyster sales in restaurants continue to grow. Restaurants that want to cash in on this popular dish have some important details to consider, including variety, place of origin, price, storage, and preparation.

Riding the Wave In Colonial days, the eastern oyster—which grows in masses called reefs—was once so abundant that it posed a hazard to coastal shipping. Civilization, along with pollution and damage to coastal habitats, had all but wiped out native populations by the early twentieth century. Later, demand for oysters was so low that growing them was unprofitable. 'Before the 1990s it was harder to get oysters," says Sandy Ingber, executive chef of the Oyster Bar in New York City’s Grand Central Station, where he sells between 4,000 and 8,000 oysters per day, two thirds of which are the eastern variety. Back then, oysters were too expensive for most people, he claims. When the economy boomed in the 1990s, customers became more interested in rare and expensive luxury items. The popularity of oysters increased, and the market responded by boosting availability. Increases in the number of farmers and in sales continue despite a shaky economic outlook, according to Rheault. "We just broke two million [dollars in sales] in Rhode Island with 22 farms and 100 acres," he beams, adding that parts of Cape Cod and Maine also are doing well. Virginia, which has a huge clam industry, is beginning to invest in oyster farming, he adds. What’s more, growth in sales has been about 30 percent a year since the 1990s. To meet customers' continuing demands, chefs need expert advice for buying, storing, and preparing oysters.

Variety and Origin. “There are hundreds of names of East Coast oysters, but only two varieties or scientific classifications,” Ingber explains. “The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) makes up 99.9 percent of all East Coast oysters including [those in] the Gulf Coast.” Variations in taste result not only from the variety but also from the geography and climate of the area where the product is grown. “Oysters are water filters,” Ingber says. They feed on plankton and filter 25 gallons of seawater an hour, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “They take on the characteristics not only of their species but [also of] the water that they feed from,” he explains.

Price. John Shields, author of The Chesapeake Bay Cookbook and chef/owner of Gertrude’s, an elegant 110-seat restaurant inside the Baltimore Museum of Art, gets his oysters primarily from Samuels & Son Seafood Co. in Philadelphia and from Rappahannock River Oysters LLC in Tappahannock, Virginia. Deliveries come six days a week. He pays an average of 45 cents each, but prices vary with the variety and the season, rising to as much as 90 cents apiece. He doesn’t like to pay more than 75 cents for them. Farther north, Rick Hirsch, chef/owner with his wife, Jean Kerrigan, of Damariscotta River Grill in Maine, gets Pemaquid oysters from Pemaquid Oyster Company. “I can see where they are growing,” said Hirsch, whose restaurant overlooks the river. Twenty years ago oysters were reintroduced to the Damariscotta River area, and now a dozen farms operate there. Oysters are delivered to Hirsch a couple of times a week with about 120 per bag for $90, or 75 cents each.

Storage. Because oysters filter so much water, chefs should be sure that each box has a tag that attests that the oysters are from waters certified by the US Department of Agriculture. (The tag must be kept for 90 days so that cases of food poisoning—many oysters are served raw, after all—can be traced to the source.) “Oysters are sold by count, so we inspect the delivery,” Ingber points out. They have a shelf life of 7 to 14 days, but “here they stay around only a day or two.” He advises chefs not to dump ice on top of a pile of oysters because they will absorb the water. “You don’t want fresh water seeping into an oyster that comes from salt water,” he advises. “If you store them overnight, then put a wet cloth over them and a drip pan underneath.”

Preparation. With oyster dishes, simplicity sells. Ingber describes his favorite but ultimately unsuccessful dish, Blanquette de Belon. The oysters are poached in wine and cream. “It’s too complex for today,” he said. “People don’t have time.” The best-selling dish at both the Oyster Bar and at Gertrude’s is fried oysters “by 1,000 percent,” Ingber exaggerates. His fried oyster plates sell for $9.25 as an appetizer or $18.45 as an entree with French fries. Of course, many interesting preparations can be presented without firing up the hot elements. Hirsch describes his restaurant’s accompaniments for raw oysters as “a three-ring circus.” For $11.42 diners get six oysters with three different accompaniments: a classic mignonette, a cocktail sauce with house-ground horseradish, and jalapeño relish, which is his favorite. “It has saltiness with a spicy sweetness,” he describes. Clearly, oysters are a complex ingredient with a myriad of possibilities. Those who hope to use them in restaurants are right to consult the experts, but, as with wine, studying will get chefs only so far. The best way to learn the distinct varieties and characteristic regions of the oyster is to taste.

Marian Betancourt writes about food, travel, and health. Her latest book, The New Native American Cuisine, was released in September