Oysters of the Pacific Northwest

Find an oyster bar, order like a pro, and get your slurp on in Portland!

Our Stone Age ancestors relied on them. Greek and Roman civilizations worshiped them. Native Americans revered them. For hundreds of thousands of years, these ancient, alien-like beings have been the object of a culinary obsession to people and cultures around the world. It’s a slimy deity, the queen of the bivalves - the oyster!

Today, oysters are still venerated as a delicacy. Like wine grapes, oysters are influenced by the environment they are grown in. A pinot noir from California's Napa Valley will taste different than a pinot noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley because the grapes are influenced by each region’s climate, soil, and terrain - known to the French as “terroir.” In the oyster world, water temperature, tidal activity, water salinity, and the algae the oysters eat influence the flavors and contribute to its “merrior,” a portmanteau of “marine” and “terroir.” More than any other seafood, the taste of an oyster reflects its birthplace and how it’s grown. If you close your eyes and slurp an oyster, you are immediately transported to the shore where it grew, tasting the saltiness of the water and perhaps even a slight crunch of sand.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, our bounty of bays, coves, and inlets provide the ideal environment for growing beautiful, healthy oysters. Most of the oysters grown on the West Coast tend to be variations of the Pacific oyster, originally from Japan but flourishing in American waters, and now typically bearing the names of the waters that shape them (Hama Hama, Wolf Beach, Yaquina Bay, etc.). Generally, Pacifics are meaty, sweet, and creamy with notes of melon and cucumber.

On occasion, you may see either Kumamoto or Olympia species on a Portland raw bar menu. If you do, don’t pass up the opportunity! Kumamotos (also from Japan) are nuanced, novelty-like oysters that are difficult to farm and take a long time to grow. The reward is a delightfully petite oyster with minimal brine and a creamy sweetness. Olympias, with their signature copper-like metallic twang, are the only oyster native to the Pacific Northwest, and were nearly brought to extinction by overharvesting in the late 1800s and early 1900s. After a concerted restoration project, they are slowly reappearing in our waters and occasionally making their way to tables.

If you have the opportunity to try several varieties, it’s fun and engaging to order different oysters from one or a few regions and compare the nuances. Order at least two of each in order to get a better sense of its flavor variations. 

Freshness is the priority! Know when they were harvested - oysters can last five to seven days out of the water if properly refrigerated. Fresh oysters should appear well-hydrated with sea water (known as oyster liquor), and should smell sea-breezy and sweet, not fishy at all.

If the shucker has done their job properly, they’ll have already freed the muscle from the shell, keeping the meat intact while retaining as much of the oyster liquor as possible.

Pro tip: Do not swallow it immediately - chew the oyster at least 20 times, the flavor changes the more you chew! Notice the progression from nose (salty) to body (sweet/flavors) to finish (lingering aroma).

Purists will argue that if you truly want to appreciate the varieties of flavor, the only way to eat a raw oyster is raw - meat and oyster liquor only - and to top it with any other flavors is a sin. Cocktail sauce was originally used to mask the flavor of less-fresh oysters, and since these days your oysters are more than likely to arrive as fresh as can be, there is no need to mask anything. However, oyster platters typically come with a few accouterments, and if you want to top your oysters, no one will stop you - it’s a free country. 

Try a light squeeze of lemon, or a classic mignonette of red wine vinegar, minced shallot, and freshly ground black pepper. Modern oyster bars often experiment with creative toppings, and you may taste an oyster in a way that you never have before. However you top it, the best rule of thumb is to go lightly - give the oysters’ merrior a chance to shine through (and don’t you dare put any toppings on an Olympia!). 

Oysters are classically paired with light-bodied, crisp, dry white wines and chilled chardonnay-based champagnes. Muscadet, Chablis, and Sancerre are great choices. The trick is to match the acidity of the wine with the saltiness of the oyster. If beer is your thing, go with a crisp lager or pilsner, a citrus-forward IPA, or a light, smooth stout like Guinness. 

Portland’s close proximity to the world-class oyster provenances of the Pacific Northwest, along with its reputation for passionate chefs with exceptional cuisine, make it easy to enjoy guaranteed-fresh oysters and a flute of crisp Champagne within the city limits. Here are the best places in Portland to get your slurp on!