Why eating oysters raw may mean missing out on their best flavor, celebrity chef says

Andrew Zimmern says oyster flavour depends heavily on where they are grown, and that eating them raw is not the only way to appreciate them. His view challenges the idea that raw oysters are the best measure of quality: a flavourful oyster can also shine grilled, fried or baked.

Water conditions, available food and the seafloor shape oysters’ taste and appearance, sometimes producing striking differences between nearby harvest sites. Zimmern prefers oysters with coppery, celery-like notes and enough saltiness, particularly from the West Coast, but says East Coast growers are cultivating similar profiles. He also enjoys grilled oysters, fried oysters and oyster chowder, which he makes almost every other week in winter.