Oysters are for Lovers

People who love oysters love life. They savor the wondrous sights, sounds, fragrances and flavors of all nature’s bounty. Although oysters can be an acquired taste for some, they’re ambrosia to others. The Greeks envisioned their goddess of love, Aphrodite, springing forth from the sea on an oyster shell and giving birth to Eros, from which the word "aphrodisiac" was born.

Oysters are said to have been revered by the Roman emperors who paid for them by their weight in gold and sent thousands of slaves to the shores of the English Channel to gather them. Casanova is reported to have eaten 50 oysters a day while taking his morning bath, and one can only imagine their importance to Anthony and Cleopatra. It’s also been written that a person without a taste for oysters may well be without a soul.

For those who are health-conscious, oysters are not only delicious but one of the most nutritionally well-balanced foods, containing protein, carbohydrates and lipids. They’re high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in cholesterol. Oysters are an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and D. They have high mineral content including iron, copper, iodine, magnesium, calcium, zinc, manganese and phosphorus.