Washington-grown Oysters The Pacific Northwest has been home to a variety of oysters, but the native oyster--the Olympia oyster (Ostrea conchaphila)-- has always been considered the most delectable. Sadly, the Olympia did not grow large enough or fast enough to sustain a hungry oyster market, so shellfish growers introduced non-native varieties such as the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica),the European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis),and the Pacific or Japanese oyster (Crassostrea gigas). The Pacific oyster is a hearty species that thrives in Washington waters and now constitutes 99% of the total West Coast oyster production. There are three varieties of Pacific oyster: the Miyagi, the Kumamoto and the Hiroshima. Of these, the Miyagi and Kumamoto have been most successful for Washington's oyster industry.
How was the Pacific oyster first established in Washington? You can read the definitive text on the subject, The Immigrant Oyster,written by E.N. Steele in 1964. Click here to see the book in PDF format. You may also click here to see the photographs from the book in a separate document. If you need Acrobat Reader to read the pdfs, click here for a free download.
(Provided by Dick Steele, Rockpoint Oyster Company.)
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