Oysters

Canada boasts some of the world's most pristine coastlines, including along British Columbia and the Atlantic provinces. It's from these cold, clean, nutrient-rich waters that our nation's renowned oysters are harvested from wild populations and carefully tended farms. Depending on their origins, oysters go by various names, such as Pacific oysters from British Columbia or the celebrated Atlantic oysters from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and Quebec.

Oysters have an irregularly shaped shell protecting a tender mollusk inside. The taste? It's like a kiss from the ocean—a blend of salty, briny, and sweet, with subtle variations in flavour depending on their region of origin; the term for these differences is meroir. Some describe it as tasting the essence of the sea itself. They're often enjoyed raw right on the half-shell, garnished with just a splash of lemon or with a dab of hot sauce, though they're versatile enough to be cooked in various recipes. You might even find one waiting in a Bloody Caesar, a coming together of two quintessential Canadian taste experiences.