Where to find French Oysters

The legendary French oyster cultivation areas are Cancale, Marennes-Oléron, and Arcachon

Although they’re raised in a few other coastal areas, plates are primarily linked with Brittany. When they are three years old and fully mature, they are transferred to an estuarial environment.

Typically, this is the mouth of the Belon or Marenne rivers, where fresh and salt water blend. There, their golden flesh firms and the shellfish attain their full wild flavour.

The creuse is everyman’s oyster. Its flavour is easy, fresh and sprightly, evoking bracing sea breezes and sea water. These French oysters are raised in deep waters, then transferred to less salty shallow beds called claires to mature.

In appearance creuse are typically a pale ivory lined with black and brown. But some attain a gorgeous turquoise green hue due to their contact with a bluish-green alga. Although less intensely flavoured than the plate, the creuse is equally seductive.

For true oyster lovers, there’s really nothing better than tucking into a dozen on the half-shell at a seaside bistro. Especially when you can look out and see the sparkling waters the shellfish were plucked from just hours before.

Where are French Oysters Grown

From North to South there are seven distinct growing regions: Normandy, North-Brittany, South-Brittany, West-Central, Marennes-Oléron, Arcachon, and the Mediterranean. Although some of these areas are far more famous than others, they all produce excellent oysters.

Ordering French Oysters in Restaurants

Restaurants often offer a perplexing miscellany of oysters, at prices that differ according to shape, size and provenance. Here’s a summary of some of the terms you are likely to encounter:

Creuses: Also called portugaises or japonaises, these oysters have a convex shell.

Numbers: Oysters are calibrated from 000 to 6, with the smaller number indicating the larger-sized oyster.

Fines: Determined by a complicated calculation that only the French understand; this designation means small- to medium-sized.

Speciales: Labelled according to the same calculation as the fines, these oysters are a larger and fleshier.

Fines de Claire: At 20 to the square yard, these oysters mature for two months in salty claires, or marshes, where they filter nutrient-rich water that sometimes turns them green.

Speciales de Claire: Are grown at just 10 to the square yard. Spéciales de claire mature for at least two months. This allows them to grow fatter and more substantial than fines de claire.

Pousses en Claire: Set in oyster parks with only five to the square yard, these oysters, prized by gourmets, grow for at least four months and double in weight during that time.

A Brief History of French Oysters

In modern times, France was the first country in Europe to begin producing oysters on a large scale. The process is known as ‘L’ostréiculture’ and the growers are known as ‘Ostréiculteurs’.

The oyster business is taken very seriously by growers, marine biologists, and by French connoisseurs, which is basically everyone in France! France controls more than 2,000 miles of coastline, featuring some of the finest oyster beds in the world. In the 19th century, there were three oyster capitals in the world: Paris, London and New York. Although fabulous oysters are still served in London and New York, Paris remains supreme.

To this day, the city offers many opportunities to enjoy oysters, in restaurants or from side walk vendors. Some kind of dry white wine or Champagne is generally suggested as an accompaniment.

The classics in Paris are oysters from legendary French oyster cultivation areas such as Cancale, Marennes-Oléron, and Arcachon. The coast of France also offers fantastic oyster experiences. Virtually anywhere along the French coastline (including the Mediterranean and of course Brittany) delicious French oysters are served, and at a fraction of the cost of those in Paris.

There is no finer experience than dining on oysters overlooking the Thau lagoon as the sun goes down.

How Oysters Are Made

For oysters it is impossible to search for partners to reproduce. It is necessary for oysters to be in groups to have descendants. Spawning begins in the spring when water temperature increases.

Oysters reach maturity and release the sperm and eggs into the water during the summer months. Fertilization occurs immediately. The new small oysters will develop while following currents. When they reach one third of a millimetre they will find a surface on which to settle.

Oysters reproduce in summer. Each animal lays at least a million eggs. If temperature, salinity and other conditions are right they settle after fifteen days and become a young oyster, called a "spat". Oyster farmers place "collectors" (tubes and cups) in the ocean to gather them, where the young settled oyster begins feeding and growing.

The basins of Marennes Oléron and Arca-chon are the only two places in France where oysters reproduce naturally.

At one year old the spat is detached from its collector, a process called "détroquage", often carried out by women because it requires skill and a delicate touch.

After "détroguage" the oyster is placed in ocean where it remains for two years.

During its growth the oysters are carefully watched over - the farmer fears storms and predators the most. The role of the tides is essential in the growing stage.

"Claires" are shallow ponds dug into the sediment about one metre deep once used for salt farming. The water is renewed by the tides. The oysters are either cultured in this manner (called "pousse en claire") or finished like this (called "fines de claire" or "speciales de claire") depending on the time they spend in the claire and the number of animals per square metre.

Seasonality

In the northern hemisphere, the old rule that native oysters should only be eaten when there's an 'r' in the month still holds true; so eat oysters from September to April. During the summer months they're busy spawning, and their flesh becomes unpleasantly soft and milky.

Our Oysters

We have categorised our selection in 4 parts. Luxury, Quality, Great Brands, Rebellious and The Odd Ones.

Luxury

Deluxe products for the connoisseurs

Availability: It's not always available in big numbers, as it's in high demand in Paris and at most Michelin restaurants.

Our Thoughts: The Rolls-Royce of oysters. We are good friends with these oyster farmers, but demand is high. We try to get these the best we can and they are available throughout the year.

• L’huître Gillardeau: The Rolls-Royce of oysters. More than 60 manipulations are carried out for a taste, ultimately, fluffy and sweet.

• La Belon: From its real name Aven-Belon, this Breton oyster comes from 3 estuaries of the southern Finistère where, between tides and brassage of fresh water, it is naturally refined.

Quality

High quality product of No 3 and No 4.

Availability: Always available.

Our Thoughts: Think quantity. High volumes. Supplied mainly to French Bistro and seafood restaurants. This is what most clients expect and order. No2 is a bit more for the acquired taste as it's a much bigger gulp of flesh to swallow. You need to bite it over to deal with it. A bit much for the picky eaters. Most oysters in Switzerland are of No 3 and No 4, but not necessarily of the highest quality like our fine de claire, we are sourcing from Marennes-Oleron which makes us stand out. These oysters are brought back in clear for 1 month to soften. Tender to taste.

• La Fine de Claire No.3

• La Fine de Claire No.4

• La Fine de Claire No.2

Great Brands

High quality, very popular in Northern France.

Availability: Always available.

Our Thoughts: These are very famous in France and in high demand. Both a bit more on the salty, or iodized side, and that makes it a special product that restaurant guests not often would order by the dozen.

• L’Utah Beach: Tasty and particularly fine, while remaining long in the mouth, this oyster native to Normandy is highly appreciated.

• L’Isigny: A luscious, sweet and crunchy oyster. This Norman oyster, by its origin, is more iodized than the oysters of Marennes.

Rebellious

No1 is not for the faint hearted, it's simply too big, even bigger than No2.

Availability: Always available.

Our Thoughts: Great for connoisseurs, great for oven gratine, or ceviche.

• La Fine de Claire No.1: A sea oyster brought back in clear for 1 month to soften. Tender to taste, this oyster from Marennes-Oléron.

The Odd Ones

Very high priced

Availability: Always available.

Our Thoughts: Great for connoisseurs, crunchy texture, humongous and wild in size (like a horse foot), most come with “milk” in them.

• La Pousse en clair: Originally from Marennes-Oléron, it is raised in clear in very low density. Crunchy flesh, sweet taste and long mouth.

• La Plate sauvage Rade de Brest: Tiny, colored and tasty, it comes from a natural deposit.

• La Creuse fine de Paimpol: Fat and delicious, this Breton oyster is raised in the open sea.

• La Pied-de-cheval de Cancale: Oyster that is flat and round. It takes its name from its resemblance to a horse's foot. A wild oyster with a unique taste.

• La Gravette: Specialty of Arcachon, there are sweet oysters and milked with delicate aromas, very typical because of the local plankton.

Understanding Oysters Sizes

No.5 These are the smallest oysters sold, however, when they come from a famous growing area they will be called papillons, butterflies, and then they will be on seafood restaurant menus. Oysters sold as papillons lay claim to intense tastes while oysters of a similar size but with less unique histories are only sold for home consumption.

No.4 On the menu in small restaurants or in the supermarket.

No.3 The smallest size offered in most seafood re

staurants.

No.2 This size along with size 3 will be in offered in most seafood restaurants.

No.1 The largest size offered in most seafood restaurants, and they will not be inexpensive.