The Taste of an Oyster

When it comes to flavor, all three are important. Hog Island Oyster Co. grows five of the world’s main oyster species side by side on the Tomales Bay farm—so they are all subject to the same local “merroir” factors. But each have a totally unique taste because they are totally different species. The species of an oyster always has the most important influence on flavor. However, the exact same Pacific oyster species at the Hog Island farms in Humboldt Bay and Tomales Bay will also taste very different because of the difference in geography of the two locations. Seasonality is an additional flavor factor that is often overlooked. An oyster preparing to spawn will taste wildly different than the same oyster in winter, fattened with stored glycogen and ready for dormancy.