January 27, 2014 — The more I hear about oysters the more they are becoming less of a delicacy reserved for the elite in high-end restaurants, and more of a mainstream food that everyone can appreciate.
With the newly-renamed Seafood Expo North America coming up, I’m reflecting on last year’s event (back when it was the International Boston Seafood Show). Last year we had Patrick McMurray, the chef-owner of the Starfish Oyster Bed and Grille in Toronto, come to the show to emcee the annual oyster-shucking competition and he’s agreed to come back this year, too. He also delivered a master class on the five major species, discussing each one’s flavors with the detail and passion of a sommelier going through a wine list.
I asked him at the time about a few high-profile illness-related oyster bed closures, and whether he thought they would impact the market. Without blinking, he told me he was confident that there were too many suppliers, fueled by too much interest in the tasty bivalves, for any closures to put a dent in prices or consumer interest.
Read the full story at Seafood Source