Oysters are mollusks that grow mainly in the ocean. There are more than fifty species of oysters, some of which are edible. Their rather rectangle shells are
made of calcium. The shells protect their soft bodies. Here are 10 interesting facts about oysters you probably don’t know!
1. Oysters Are Tastier During Months That Contain “R”
Long ago, people were advised never to eat oysters during months of the year that didn’t contain the letter “r”. For one reason, the lack of proper refrigeration methods didn’t keep oysters well in the warmer weather months- May through August.
Also, the meat of the oyster tends to become thicker when the water temperatures cool down in the fall of the year. But, oysters can be, and are, enjoyed twelve months of the year.
2. Oyster Consumption
Another interesting fact about oysters is that nearly two billion pounds of these mollusks are eaten every year, and Americans eat their fair share. From 1990 to 1995, for example, Americans ate about fifty million pounds of these popular mollusks.
3. Is It a Male or Female Oyster?
Just like warm-blooded animals, oysters are either male or female. But, oysters have gonads that generate eggs, as well as sperm. So, oysters have the ability to change their sexes, which they do, at least once. (The gonads, by the way, are considered to be the tastiest part of the oyster.)
4. Oysters Are Healthy for You!
Oysters contain a whole raft of Vitamins, including C, D, B1, B1, B2 and B3. In terms of valuable minerals, if you eat just four medium-size oysters every day, you’ll get the recommended daily allowances of calcium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc. Isn’t that an interesting fact?
5. How to Tell If An Oyster is Alive
Whether you dig them up, buy them at a local seafood store or order them through the mail, there’s one sure way to tell if an oyster is alive. If its shell is open, you tap on it with your fingers, and it snap shut, then it’s alive.
6. Oysters Breathe Like Fish
Oysters contain both gills and mantle in order for them to breathe. As the water passes through them, the oxygen is removed and the carbon monoxide is discarded. Oysters also have stomachs, intestines, and they have hearts that pump a clear blood, along with the oxygen, through their bodies. And, their kidneys clean impurities from their blood.
7. Oysters Produce Very Few Pearls Naturally
Another interesting fact about oysters- According to www.ask.yahoo.com, “only one out of 10,000 animals will produce a pearl in the wild.” Most of the pearls that are created by these mollusks begin with human intervention. Pieces of shells or beads are inserted inside an oyster. And the natural process goes from there. The oyster covers the foreign substance with layers of calcium and protein. In time, a pearl is produced.
8. Oysters Are What They Eat
This kind of mollusk feeds on plankton, animal waste, decayed plants- most any small particles they suck in. Oysters can filter up to five liters of water each hour. What’s most interesting about this is, that the color of an oysters’ meat depends on what they eat. Usually, the meat is light beige, light gray or off white.
Oyster connoisseurs take great pleasure in figuring out what regions the oysters they are eating came from, just by their taste.
9. Oysters Can Be Eaten in a Variety of Ways
Some people prefer to eat oysters in their raw state. Because they can contain harmful bacteria, people who have low immunity systems, cancer or chronic liver disease shouldn’t eat raw oysters.
But, these mollusks can be eaten other ways. Oysters can be roasted, steamed, fried, scalloped, stewed, baked, stuffed, boiled, marinated, poached and sautéed.
10. Can Oysters Enhance Your Love Life?
The ancient Romans prized oysters for being aphrodisiacs. The 18th-century lover Casanova, in particular, is said to have eaten fifty oysters for breakfast every morning to make him virile.
An interesting fact about oysters is they do contain a lot of zinc. This mineral- or rather, a deficiency of it- has been linked to male impotency. However, there isn’t any scientific data to uphold Casanova’s belief.
