The Oyster Book: A Chronicle of the World's Most Fascinating Shellfish Past, Present, and Future

The Oyster Book is a comprehensive guide to oysters, their history, culture, and farming, with insights from an IACP Cookbook Award finalist. It explores the renaissance of oyster farming due to the Clean Water Act and the environmental solutions it offers in the face of food challenges and climate change. Internationally renowned oyster farmer Dan Martino shares his expertise on husbandry, nursery, and farm techniques, as well as tips for selling into the market. The book also discusses the various global styles of farming and the species of oysters farmed, and how they differ in size, texture, shape, and taste. It highlights the oyster's potential as a natural alternative to more resource-intensive food sources and as a necessary element in the quest for climate change solutions.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 24 October 2024
Publisher: Surrey Books,U.S.

An IACP Cookbook Award finalist, "Oysters: A Global History and Guide to the Future" is an introduction to oysters and their place in our culture and food system. It includes a quick global history, an account of the current state of oyster farming, and a glimpse of the promising environmental solutions oyster farming offers in the age of food challenges and climate change. The oyster is one of Earth's oldest animals, and fossil records show humans have enjoyed them for hundreds of thousands of years. However, wild oysters were driven to near extinction by overconsumption and pollution. The Clean Water Act passed in 1972 marked a turning point for water quality, and decades later, we are witnessing a renaissance in oyster culture as the rise of aquaculture (ocean farming) attempts to supply a growing demand for oysters that increases exponentially year after year. Internationally renowned oyster farmer Dan Martino guides readers through this fascinating history before presenting a detailed breakdown of the current state of the oyster industry as only an insider can describe it. He discusses husbandry, nursery, and farm techniques; the practical side of working with local government to set up a farm; tips for selling into the market; and what qualities make for the perfect oyster. He details the various global styles of farming and the species of oysters farmed, explaining how they differ in size, texture, shape, and taste—characteristics referred to as "merroir," to parallel the way "terroir" illuminates how the origin of place affects taste in wine. The oyster has never been more relevant as we look to the future and the many challenges presented by climate change and a growing population. Martino explores how the current land-based food production system risks collapse as it tries to keep up.

Weight: 560g
Dimension: 161 x 236 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781572843424