Oysters are a very special kind of shellfish. It takes three to four years for an oyster to be fully grown. Having been around on our planet for more than 250 million years, they settle in places with strong tides.Firmly anchored to the ground, the oysters are filter feeders getting theirfood from the surrounding waters. One single oyster filters about 250 li- tres of water per day – and this water must be very clean since oysters are extremely sensitive to pollution.

Oysters are sought-after all around the world. In Asia they are bred as pearl oysters or as food which is consumed cooked or roasted. In Eu- rope they can be found along the coasts of France, Ireland, Britain and the Netherlands. On the North American continent they occur in the coastal regions of the Pacific Ocean and along the Atlantic Ocean coast. Gourmets are particularly fond of oysters originating from the French coast of Marennes-Oléron, and for good reason. The oysters harvestedthere have already pleased the royal palate of Louis XIV some 350 yearsago, with the effect that he reportedly exclaimed in excitement: “There are no oysters more delicious than those from Marennes!”