I don't get it. Why do people eat Oysters?

I am originally from California, and I had never heard of oysters in the context of food. My experience with oysters was pretty much limited to jewelry... you know... pearls. So, I can understand the gag reflex that hits most people when someone suggests that they actually put one of those slimy things into their mouth.  Oohhwweeewwww...

Though I can understand the gag reflex, I can attest that this is only a temporary and fleeting reaction. Once properly acclimated to the whole oyster experience, you will start to understand where the craving comes from... Here's my story.


I started visiting Charleston, South Carolina about 18 years ago see my wife's family. We usually traveled during the summer months, but occasionally we would make the trip at Christmas time. I remember the first oyster roast that I went to as a "Yankee" (anyone not from the south). It was around Christmas time, and it was cold out. Some people we knew called and said "come on over, we're having an oyster roast". 

I had no idea what this strange custom was all about. It seemed to be a common event for the locals who would respond to the words "Oyster Roast" by going to the kitchen or garage and getting a bucket full of funny-looking dull knives and nasty old gloves. Then, proceeding to the fridge for a 6-pack of beer and some hot sauce, and heading out the door.  

When we got there, we saw that everyone seemed to have gotten the memo and come with their own bucket of knives and gloves, and some contribution to the food or drink. Large crowds were gathered around to tell stories and catch up on current events while steam billowed into the night sky like a factory chimney. I could tell that something was about to happen, but what?  When in the south, you never really know what to expect... unless you are a local, that is...

Then, a bustle of moving people stirred up on queue as a couple of men hoisted a steaming basket and made their way to the make-shift tables (plywood on top of 55-gallon drums) set up under some lights. The men upended their basket on the table, and there in front of me was the most ravenous feeding frenzy I have ever seen. Standing there in awe, I watched as people grabbed oysters from the steaming pile and went to work on them with their dull knives. Wearing a glove on one hand and the knife in the other, some people were popping shells so fast I could hardly keep track of them. Other folks, like myself, were working diligently on their first one, trying to find a way to get at the meat inside of the razor-sharp enclosure. 

When I finally penetrated the interior of the shell, there waiting for me was the most disgusting blob of MUD!!  "You got a mudder", someone laughed. I couldn't believe it. All that work, and no reward, just a pack of "pluff mud". Oh well, try again...

This time it went better, and it didn't take nearly as long to get my reward. An oyster! My first one!  I hesitated briefly at the thought of eating something that really didn't look like food, and then popped it into my mouth.  I chewed... and ... started to ... gag... "hold it back" I thought to myself... "there are people watching"... Whew, I held it back. Nobody knew that I just about lost it right there.... I had officially had my first oyster, and I didn't want to follow it with my second. It was time to leave the table and find that 6-pack that we brought.

After our vacation, we returned home, and didn't give the oyster roast another thought. Then, 8 years later, we moved to Charleston, South Carolina. And, of course, we got invited to lots of oyster roasts. It seems as though this southern tradition is more of a social event than an eating event. There is certainly a lot of oyster eating going on, but mostly it is where friends can re-connect and kids can run wild in the cool of a winter evening. 

Oh, and by the way... I did start to like oysters. That salty taste that is somehow reminiscent of the smell in the air, becomes a reminder of good times, and a craving for more of the same. I hope you will try to make your way past the first reaction, and explore the culture of the oyster roast.

Blessings!