Oysters: 5 myths to dispel before Valentine's Day

2023 Author: Cody Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:20

Morning of February 13th. There dinner from Valentine's day, super romantic and studied down to the smallest detail, it approaches wide strides. In the end, you decided to rely on an established couple: oysters and champagne. If so, well, good luck (I'll explain the sarcasm later).

No, seriously, it's a great time to consume oysters and not just because of their supposed aphrodisiac reputation.

Provided we clarify, first, commonplaces and false myths that surround these molluscs, fed over the years by negligence and provisional scientific deductions.

Here are the 5 most popular on oysters.

1. Oysters are not nutritious

Strange fate for oysters: as a nutritious meal - Cicero ate huge quantities of them, convinced that the phosphorus and zinc they are rich in favored eloquence - a food considered more suitable for an aperitif than a meal.

In recent times there has been a long insistence on the cholesterol content. Risk reduced thanks to more sophisticated calculation techniques, which made it possible to review the quantity of cholesterol present in oysters as in other products such as clams or scallops.

In reality, from a nutritional point of view, moderately caloric oysters are a concentrate of micronutrients starting from Omega 3 acids. Above all they represent one of the few natural sources of vitamin B12, necessary for the metabolism of proteins and fats, and still contain mineral salts such as iron, phosphorus, sodium and iodine.

2. Oysters and champagne: an ideal match

Oysters are a drama to pair with. But like any other food we can tame them by resorting to Riesling or with a lot of French wine, for example Sauternes, Muscadet and Chablis.

But least of all with Champagne.

Yes, of course, he makes a lot of dinner like multimillionaires with the food icon of luxury, but then, if you think you can hear the metal handle of your bathroom door in your mouth, don't blame us.

It is not a sophism from sgamatoni but a simple chemical reaction: the zinc of the oysters and the aggressive acidity of the Champagne fight each other.

3. Eating oysters is bad for the environment

The reefs made up of oysters, called floating veins, help to restore the ecosystem and filter pollution. Not only and no longer a shellfish effigy of luxury, therefore, but a politically-correct food that makes its contribution to the cause.

Wait a minute, then we who feed on it are causing damage to the environment?

In reality, almost 100% of the oysters we consume come from farms, which in consideration of the most modern aquaculture systems often guarantee environmental sustainability.

It may sound paradoxical, but consuming oysters today gives a hand to the environment. And do you know how? Fostering the development of a new generation of breeders who are more attentive to sustainability issues.

4. Oysters are eaten only in the months with the letter R

One of the most enigmatic myths considers the consumption of oysters to be unhealthy during the months without the letter "R" in the English name.

It has long been thought that it was a way to highlight the time when eating raw shellfish can be harmful, since during the warm months oysters are more likely to suffer from high temperatures.

It goes without saying that the advent of modern refrigeration systems allows oysters to be kept in excellent condition even in periods of great heat.

According to a more reliable explanation, the months without the letter "R" in the name correspond to the period in which the oysters lay their eggs: they can be eaten anyway, but they have a less pleasant taste.

Important thing to know: the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, invisible and odorless and therefore very fearsome, can nest in oysters more easily during the summer months because it thrives in warm salty waters.

5. Oysters are aphrodisiacs

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, which is probably why this is the myth about oysters that interests us the most. The aphrodisiac reputation is based on the shape, which evokes the female sexual organ, on the consistency, and on the sensual way of consuming them.

The high zinc content that is supposed to promote testosterone production does not seem to be enough to ignite the libido.

The studies that over the years have documented the presence in molluscs of rare amino acids that would increase the level of hormones, stimulating sexual activity, have not found a follow-up in the scientific environment.

In short, the erotic potential of oysters is largely the result of our imagination, a kind of placebo effect, of self-suggestion.

And in any case, if you decide to invest equally in the (now cheaper) shellfish to understand what kind of return they offer, let us know how it went.

No, sorry, we can't help you with sexy lingerie.