CULINARY & DINING Delectable Pearls of the Chesapeake True treasures of the Chesapeake, our oysters will fill your foodie bucket list by the bushel. BY JIM MEYER the bay, the last remaining sail-powered fishing fleet in the nation. Recently, more modern methods have joined the skipjacks, as a new breed of high-tech watermen have begun harvesting wild oysters by scuba diving. Together, these options provide an artisanal wild-caught dining option. Fantastic Farmed Wind and tide limit the wild oyster season to winter, but Maryland’s pioneering push towards sustainable oyster farming means you can enjoy Chesapeake oysters year-round. Start with a Chesapeake Gold, grown off Hoopers Island, for a deep, salty oyster. Sample Barren Island Oysters, harvested nearby at the confluence of the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, where its fresh waters balance salt with sweet. Enjoy a True Chesapeake Oyster, grown in St. Jerome’s Creek; their clean, light flavor make them nearly a dessert oyster. Try all these and more, because no trip to Maryland is complete without an oyster. ✥ PHOTOS: EDWIN REMSBERG; JILL JASUTA FOR DORCHESTER COUNTY TOURISM S Succulent, sweet, and bursting with the crisp, clean soul of the Chesapeake, our oysters offer unparalleled flavor. Savor them fried with mouthwatering lettuce and tomato in a traditional oyster sandwich; steeped in fresh, local cream and their own savory brine as part of an oyster stew; or simply shucked raw, straight from a skipjack. OysterFest and the U.S. Oyster Festival and National Shuck Off in St. Mary’s, both in October. Wonderful Wild The sources of our oysters are just as diverse as their myriad preparations. While native oysters have nearly vanished elsewhere, in the Chesapeake, they are reclaiming their old territory—making Maryland wild oysters a unique and prized culinary experience. The skipjack, Maryland’s state boat, is more than a remnant of some bygone era; they still ply Occasions for Every Oyster Lover Oysters are an important part of Maryland life, and some parts of the state—in places such as Hoopers Island and Smith Island—have an oystering tradition that goes back centuries. Today, we continue a culinary love affair many years in the making at unique Maryland events like Annapolis’ Maryland Seafood Festival in September; and St. Michaels’ PEARLS OF THE BAY Left to Right: Captain Kermit Travers on the Lady Katie ; Fried oysters dish, Bistro Poplar, Cambridge DESTINATION MARYLAND ✥ 21
Maryland Official Visitors Guide 2017: Page 21
