The Pearl of the Ocean
Have you recently dined on some delightful oysters at a restaurant and dreamt of indulging anytime you want? From Oct 1 till April 30, oysters are on the menu in Carolina. To truly enjoy seafood in a way that the locals do, oysters must be bought from a high quality and trusted seafood source, not a grocery store, but from the back of a pickup truck harvested that day by a local commercial fisherman. The next best to buy is a local market, where the fisherman takes his harvest to sell.
Countless types of oysters exist, differing in species, harvest location, size and taste, so tell the fisherman what you are looking, salty, briny, large, and small.
Just like most types of seafood, oysters offer great, well balanced nutritional value. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, calcium, vitamin B-12 and much more, so consuming oysters helps aid in a healthy heart and stronger immune system. In addition, oysters are low in fat, calories and cholesterol, allowing you to never feel guilty after eating a dozen of the ocean’s finest little gems.
I can’t think of a better meal and when you add the sauce of your taste, a salad and wine, you are dining as Royalty. At least Carolina Royalty.
While visiting in Japan, I tried much of their cuisine. At a small restaurant, I saw oysters on the menu. I thought, why not? Their sushi is awesome. The tempura is delish. Surely, the oysters will be as delicious as at home.
There is something about the Japanese aesthetic which calms the soul. So I must admit that it was with some hesitation that I dived into the little Japanese garden they brought to the table.
Happily, I was able to reconcile my appetite with the aesthetic by tasting the Wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi first. In terms of Japanese art and arrangements, is centered on the acceptance of transience. This view, rooted in Buddhist ideals, particularly values imperfection and incompleteness, and considers these qualities to be beautiful.
And it was beautiful. The oysters were delicious and, afterwards, looking at their empty shells, I saw the beauty of their transience – into my tummy!
I paired the dinner with Chablis. Chablis is a white wine that originates in the northern area of Burgundy. It makes sense that Chablis pairs well with oysters because there are fossilized oyster shells in the soil where its vines grow. This soil composition gives Chablis a distinctively mineral, flinty note. Chablis is made from Chardonnay grapes and has a more acidic, less fruity flavor than most white wines, which makes it ideal for drinking it with seafood.
It was dining experience to be remembered and the entertainment was the finishing touch. I will expound on the entertainment in a later post.
Once the wait staff realized how much I enjoyed the meal and realized that I was in Japan on a spiritual journey, they opened up on their own stories. They asked had I ever found a pearl in an oyster. And I could answer, yes! They began their stories on diving for oysters and oysters with pearls. It reminded me of another trip, while in Qatar of how the oysters and pearl market kept the country afloat until natural gas was imported from there.
We ended the meal with a kind of poetic feel. The newly made friend quoted me this:
“While oyster pearls are beautiful on their own, they also have a delightful significance. The idea that an irritant can be turned into a precious gem is the story which has made oyster pearls timeless. If there is an annoyance or a bother in your life such as the grain of sand in an oyster, simply coat it in a layer of love. Add another layer of patience and another layer of acceptance and continue on until that which annoys you becomes something beautiful.”
As always, Billie
May we all see the pearl side of life..