Bivalve Mollusks Rockefeller just doesn’t have a ring to it, nor does Briny Plankton Feeders sound like a big hit at the Raw Bar, but that’s what we’re celebrating on
NATIONAL OYSTERS DAY!
Ah, oysters! Either you love them and can’t get enough, or just the sight of them gets you ill. Oysters are those mollusks whose shells look like stones, and mankind has been feasting on them since prehistoric times, even before the cultivation of lemons or the invention of hot sauce.
Pearl Oysters can also produce pearls, which are a hardened oyster secretion to cover an irritating grain of sand or grit that has gotten into their shell, and Windowpane Oysters are valued for their beautiful translucent shells.
True Oysters, the kind we eat, are very nutritious, an excellent source of low-fat protein, vitamin B-12, zinc, iron, calcium and selenium, as well as being tasty and lots of fun to eat.
Oysters live in “beds” on the sea floor, gathered with rakes or baskets in shallow waters, or by divers in deeper waters, and have been cultivated in “oyster farms” for thousands of years in every part of the world that borders the sea. Rumor has it that eating oysters are also good for the male libido, probably because legendary sensualist Don Juan ate 50 oysters for breakfast every day, and one more reason for their popularity.
•Suggested Activities: Visiting the local Raw Bar ASAP.