Today, they are farmed off New England, California and Washington state and, to a lesser degree, in France, England and Norway. On the U.S. East Coast, the oysters are also taken from the wild. The species is primarily offered live for the halfshell trade. Product Profile Traditionally, flat oysters are reputed to have a finer flavor than all other oyster species. Their taste is fairly pronounced, with distinct salty highlights and a sweet to flinty overtone.
European oysters are more rounded than Atlantic or Pacific oysters.
Shells are flat, with little cup. Color varies from white to brown, with the inside a creamy off-white. The meat is a creamy to light brown, matching the shell lining. Cooked meat turns ivory. Flat oysters are primarily grown subtidally, so they don't develop strong adductor muscles to keep themselves closed while in storage.