From the culinary viewpoint, the oyster is the prince among shellfish. The long-standing rumor that eating oysters has highly stimulating side effects has certainly added to its reputation. It is a fact that oysters are extremely nutritious. There are more than 100 types of oyster distributed throughout the world's moderate and warm seas. Although they may differ in shape, size and color, all have irregular, scaly shells and a single dorsal muscle.
Oyster farming is a lengthy, labor-intensive occupation.
It takes three to four years and 35 different processes to produce a marketable oyster. The European oyster is considered to have the best flavor, with the English native oyster being the most prized. It has a grayish-brown, irregular shell, reaching up to four inches. Of course, this varies in other parts of the world, where different seasonal conditions prevail. Oysters can be smoked, frozen or even air-dried, but most are bottled.