Succulent, fresh Straddie oysters were chewed or swallowed by oyster lovers from all over at North Stradbroke Island's annual oyster festival at the Dunwich oval on Saturday.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
Oyster opening, oyster eating and prawn peeling and eating competitions kept the festival visitors entertained as they devoured locally grown oysters either naturally, or cooked kilpatrick or mornay style.
Oyster lovers revelled in the access to so many fresh oysters in one place while reluctant first-timers braved their phobia and savoured them.
Eating an oyster has been described as “like kissing the sea on the lips.”
Much has been written about the taste of oysters with one saying oysters “resist every attempt to describe them. “ Another lover of oysters described it to a friend as “like a big blob of salty phlegm as you swallow them.”
Some people chew others swallow and allow the firm and slippery oyster to slide down. Others need to eat them dressed-- in a mornay or a kilpatrick (bacon, Worcestershire and tomato) sauce
But whatever method, once you overcome your first revulsion and eat one, there is no turning back. Eating an oyster is an experience - not something you do to quell an appetite.
Poet Anne Sexton in her poem “Oysters”: said “there was a death, the death of childhood/ there at the Union Oyster House/ for I was fifteen/ and eating oysters/ and the child was defeated/ The woman won.”
Ultimately, the natural oyster has the essence of the salty sea and wakes up your senses and makes them sharper.
Despite the rain on the day, festival goers enjoyed the many stalls of oysters, prawns and other foods on Ron Stark Oval as well as in the North Stradbroke Island Rugby League and All Sports Club
One of the highlights of the day for festival goers was being treated to freshly shucked oysters after the final of the oyster shucking competition and the superb taste of these delicacies was evident on their faces.
Local oyster grower Greg Nankervis successfully defended his oyster shucking title to retain the Bayside Bulletin shield.
The oyster shuckers had to open 30 oysters and present them cleaned and turned on a tray that judges inspected for quality and cleanliness.
The festival is organised by the North Stradbroke Island Oyster Growers association.
