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By John Ash
Published 2023
Like the flat oyster in Europe, the Olympia is the only native oyster of the West Coast, ranging from British Columbia to Baja California. They are tiny compared to most other oysters—the meat being about the size of a quarter. Named for the Olympic Peninsula, where it was once abundant, it was the star of the gold rush era and made famous in Hangtown Fry, but was also decimated due to overharvesting. Wild populations still exist and are highly protected. “Olys” are a challenging business proposition because they grow so slowly. Several growers on the West Coast continue to produce this native oyster, including Hog Island, which grows Olympias in Tomales Bay. Hog Island is hosting research with conservation partners to better understand how farming these native oysters might benefit their recovery in the wild. They have a delicious celery salt and copper flavor that is surprisingly big, despite their small size.
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