The first time I tried raw oysters was as a child with my family at the iconic Anthony’s Pier 4 in Boston harbor. Glancing at my older brother for guidance, I tried playing copycat. I’ve been a noisy slurper forevermore. 

There’s really no right or wrong way to eat an oyster. But don’t swallow - chew. Otherwise, you won’t get the full flavor. 

I’m not a purist. I prefer larger meaty and least-briny oysters, the more local the better (safer). Therefore, Bluepoints are my personal favorites. Either a tomato-based cocktail sauce with extra horseradish, or a mignonette of red-wine, vinegar and shallots. Purists will go naked. 

There are 5 species of oysters, so they come in quite the variety of shapes and sizes. Whether you like big or small oysters is a personal thing, but the oyster should look full in the shell and not be too thin or taste too salty. And a bad oyster will smell, well, bad.

Oysters can be salty (briny), sweet, melon, buttery, copper, and metallic. The texture can be firm, chewy, gooey, soft.  They are high in calcium, iron, and protein.

And like people, there are East and West Coast oysters: East Coast little guys are more mild, brinier, and saltier, while there is a creamy sweetness to West Coast varieties.