Diamonds and Pearls
Have you ever wondered what possessed the first oyster eater to even think that these hard shelled marine creatures were edible? Just take a look at the rock-like outer shell. I would have never guessed that that these little things would be consumed by millions and millions of seafood lovers. they can be eaten is so many different ways including smoked, boiled, baked and fried but most love eating them fresh and raw. plus single men and women love the fact that oysters are aphrodisiacs. there’s still some debate on whether this is in fact true but folks generally believe that some sort of amino acid contained in the oyster triggers an increase in sex hormones when eaten. for those that consume raw Gulf oysters, it is imperative that they are aware of the risks associated with what they’re eating. there’s a potential hazard associated with the Vibrio vulnificus bacteria that may reside in oysters harvested in warm seawater. more information can be found at BeOysterAware.com. The interesting thing I learned from reading all this info is the fact that the oysters that we consume as food are different than the ones that produce pearls. in fact, pearl oysters aren’t even edible. these pearl oysters are becoming less and less common in the wild. most are now cultivated by pearl farmers. can you imagine if they somehow figured out a way to farm raise oysters that produced diamonds? that would be any woman’s dream wouldn’t it? I can hear all the women in the world singing in unison the old Prince song – If I gave you diamonds and pearls would you be a happy boy or a girl, if I could I would give u the world.. yeah. one could only dream…
-----
Oysters have been a traditional additive in my family’s “Thanksgiving Stuffing” ever since I can remember, and to me at least, they’re pretty good. I do, however, draw the line at eating them raw.