Luxury on a plate: oysters
Delicious oysters will be making an appearance in precisely this season in some of the luxury Prague restaurants and special shops, brought here directly from the fishing nets. There is nothing more invigorating than evoking the fresh atmosphere of coastal towns on these chilly days in our country.
Oysters have been a regular feature on menus since the time of the ancient Romans who farmed them in specially modified fishponds. Nowadays, they are caught in the seas of Western Europe – from Morocco to Norway – and can also be found in the north and east regions of the Atlantic Ocean. They are bred in sea farms, from where they are transported to selected restaurants where they are served up as a luxury delicacy.
A light delicacy
Oysters are in particular consumed raw and as fresh as possible, drizzled with lemon juice. They are served when just opened and gourmet diners elegantly suck them from their “shells”. This is a truly luxurious delicacy which fans of this food are prepared to travel to the ends of the earth for. Apart from raw, oysters can also be eaten baked, gratinated or grilled.
Oysters are regarded as one of the lightest foods as regards diet as they contain no fat and have zero calories. In return for this, they have a high protein content. Oysters are most popular in France, Morocco, Spain, Ireland, Croatia, Greece, the USA and South Africa.
Fine de Claire oysters
There are about 50 types of oysters the world over. In our country, it is in particular Fine de Claire oysters which are available, these being bred in less-salty water full of nutrients. The prawns which live in the hatcheries with them stir up marine phytoplankton which the oysters feed on. They are classified by size: size 1 are the largest, size 4 are the smallest. Fine de Claire are a meatier type of oyster and have a sweetish, creamy smooth meat.
You can find oysters in Prague in selected special shops or for example visit one of the following luxury restaurants to enjoy them: Aromi La Botega, Les Moules, Café Savoy, La Gare or Zdenek´s Oyster Bar.
