Oysters in some countries may be considered a luxury food with many different ways of preparation, but in reality this is not always the case.
Oysters in some countries may be considered a luxury food with many different ways of preparation, but in reality this is not always the case.
official site
Oysters have been on earth for a long time. It is estimated that this shellfish has existed for about 300 million years, and humans have used them as food for many centuries.
Oyster farming was started by Sergius Orata, a Roman engineer famous for inventing underfloor heating, and since its inception and spread, oyster farming has become a very prosperous business. While you may have seen oysters on menus more recently, their popularity is nothing compared to just 200 years ago.
The oyster trade boomed in the early 19th century, and the animals were sold as street food across London, Paris and New York as they remained a cheap and accessible snack for a wide range of people. In 1860, the small seaside town of Whitstead in England was shipping 50 million tons of oysters to London every year, and by 1900, New York was consuming 1 million oysters a day.
But as their popularity grew, so did the problems associated with the dish. Industrialisation and dredging of Britain’s seas has led to overfishing, and as more people move to the coast, more and more sewage is being dumped into oyster-growing waters. Soon, typhoid and other diseases appeared, and many oyster businesses had to close.
Oysters were once a cheap street food in many European countries (Source: Dinh Hien)
Oysters were once a cheap street food in many European countries (Source: Dinh Hien)
Harsh winters and new diseases killed off many of the remaining native oysters, giving the species a bad reputation that lasted for many years. Another reason for the drop in oyster prices in the early 20th century: child labor. In the early 20th century, American photographer Lewis Hine took pictures of many children working in the oyster industry, even taking pictures of a 4-year-old girl named Mary, who had to scrape two pots of oysters every day.
Things had to change. People around the world soon realized the importance of clean water in oyster farming and did not allow the use of child labor. Of course, making oysters environmentally safe and legally and ethically compliant comes at a cost, as shellfish are very labor-intensive to produce. As a result, oyster prices have skyrocketed. They currently range from $36 to $54 for a dozen. Some oysters are more expensive, with Sydney oysters costing as much as $198 for six.
Each oyster takes two to three years to grow from microscopic size. The animals are initially raised in hatcheries. When they are large enough, they are transplanted into their final growing areas.
“We get oysters from hatcheries when they are very small. “We’ll grow them in baskets for about two to three years, and then we’ll send them to a sterilization center to be sterilized, then packaged and shipped,” said oyster farmer Andre Hughes.
Oysters may only have a nine-day shelf life, but that hasn’t stopped them from being shipped around the world. And with their popularity and image as a luxury food, demand for the animals is only going to increase.
