August food holidays: 9 reasons to grab a fork, spoon and straw

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National Oyster Day

Did you know that “early two billion pounds of these bivalve mollusks are eaten every year?” Yes, oysters, a bivalve mollusk, is a hugely popular seafood. August 5 is National Oyster Day. While eating oysters goes back hundreds of years, the popularity of this food has changed over the years.

Oysters were at first plentiful in the United States. The sheer amount of oysters in the New York area had them thought of as a working class man’s food. But, over harvesting made them scare. The scarcity raised prices and now they are considered a delicacy.

While some people think of oysters as a delicacy, others believe that oysters have aphoristic powers. The legend states that Casanova ate numerous oysters every day. While oysters do have high levels of amino acids, no one can directly prove that eating oysters can have an amorous effect. Whether real or placebo, many people enjoy oysters on a romantic evening.

Since many oysters are eaten raw, knowing a good oyster from a bad one is important. With no wrong way to eat and oyster, some people enjoy raw oysters with hot sauce, lemon or mignonette. But, never eat a bad oyster. According to Morro Bay Oyster Company, a good oyster “should smell of the seashore as the tide recedes over seaweed-covered rocks. It should be full in the shell, firm in texture, and brimming with the natural juice that is its life blood, not just sea water.

For National Oyster Day, many restaurants across the nation are having specials. Many specials feature raw oysters by the dozen or half dozen. Some places are even offering $1 oysters. Contact your favorite oyster restaurant to see if it is having a special.