Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-14
THE OYSTER.
Some of the Ways in Which It is
Eaten

Eaten.
The oyster season is now open and the
luscious bivalves are on the market in good
ly numbers. How to eat oysters Is a prob
lem that has been the lifetime study Of
the proprietor of an avenue hostelry. No
where in the city Is this burning problem
more fully threshed out than IN this oyster
headquarters, where have gathered earnest
worshipers at the shrine oysterial for so
long time that mems regulations as con-
noisseurs are proved only by years When
they die and forgotten in other walks
of life you can still hear them spoken Of
admiringly II their ability was established
and depreciatingly If their oyster choices
were not worthy of the quiet, constant pa
irons of the place.
Strange" said the host the other day.
for he is more the host than the proprietor,
1.-The difference in taste shown by lovers
Of oysters in the matter of serving their
favorite bivalve. My patronsI might al
most say clients-show especial difference
in the matter of the raw oyster
Don't be surprised when 1 tell you that
horseradish, tobasco, Worcestershire vine
gar. catsup, celery salt. lemon, cayenne and
black pepper, salt, melted butter, sugar and
even olive oil are used individually and in a
wonderful variety OF combinations a S condi-
ments of "a " oysters
"Horseradish and lemon have supplanted
the Old-fashioned vinegar, salt and pepper
combination, and might say fully 10 per
cent of oyster lovers them, and them
alone, to give Zest to their oysters But
imagine preparation of powdered sugar
and sweet oil on raw oyster. l have seen
1t scores of times. Worse than that, a mix
ture of French mustard and tomato catsup
or melted butter and sugar, or horseradish,
Worcestershire, tobasco and celery salt or
lemon. vinegar and sugar, with sprinkling
OF cayenne. These are no more unusual
with those who eat oysters six days in a
week than is the practice of submerging
an innocent oyster in a red bath of tomato
catsup
This gave rise to the question one day
by one of a party of four to another. What
sort of oysters do you usually eat with your
catsup?
Olive oil has become a fad with some In
oyster service. Requests for oysters fried
In olive oil or olive oil in stew and roast
are frequent. The several condiments I
have named are used extensively In fancy
stews and roasts
"A lawyer whose name for many years
was most celebrated In the list of criminal
lawyers at the local bar used to have his
oysters brought to him in the PAN so that
ne might prepare a sauce of horseradish
worcestershire tobasco and mustard In
which the bivalves were stewed Another.
also a Jurist of note. insisted upon a gem
erous addition of sugar to every stew The
color OF an oyster and even the appearance
OF its shell are made points of preference.
one insists that each oyster shell shall be
scrubbed and all seaweed and dark sea
growth removed; another insists upon those
bearing the most barnacles
peculiar fallacy Is the matter of color
or the oyster itself. Now, an oyster takes
Its color from its shell. If the shell be
dark. so Is the oyster, and If light the same
rule holds good. Few persons know that II
the darkest oyster is rubbed gently with a
piece or linen 1t soon becomes white and
clear. There Is absolutely no difference. as
Tar as taste and wholesomeness are con-
cerned between a light and a dark oyster.
popular opinion to the contrary notwith-
standing.
when you depart from the realm Of oys-
ters raw you enter into a problem of plain
milk. Boston and box stews shell roasts
roasts on toast broils, Nroils on toast. BAL
tlmore broils and many others, clear to the
Hne or oyster cocktails and oyster omelets
md the real oyster lover however. the
connolsseur. takes his oysters more or less
stralght, and principally in two styles. The
nrst Is raw, with the tsniest dash of lemon
juice or horseradish and the second and
10 my mind the very best Of all. the shell
roast. with little melted butter and
little salt and pepper
"One who has a fondness for oysters m
oeg1n with never tires of the sayory de-
lights OF shell roast. With impunity and
without fear of ever growing stated or
tried one can eat oysters raw or oysters
roasted In the shell 1856 days out of every
year. with the cd