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Julie Qiu⚡️Oyster Sommelier & Educator

@inahalfshellist

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🌍 Igniting global oyster appreciation since 2009
🗝 Co-founder @oystermasterguild
📖 The Oyster Palate (Spring 2027)
📍NYC / Madrid

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We made another thing! The perfect companion to your #33Oysters Tasting Journal, the Oyster Species found in North America handcrafted letterpress print was a year-long collab between Dave Selden of @33booksco and myself. If you want to see how each one is made, pop over to my Reels.

One of the most common starting points to oyster connoisseurship is to know about the species, what they're like, and where they come from. In North America, we are lucky to be able to experience five! That's quite rare in the world...

The shells are sketched from real models that I painstakingly shucked and savored. It's a tough job but somebody had to do it. It took us a while to figure out the right balance of nerdy content and beautiful design. I am so pleased with the final result!

The first edition sold out in a few days!!! Now onto the second edition. $25 each for a high-quality original print is such a steal through 33books.com (link in bio).

Where would you display this beauty? Tell me about it in the comments!

#oystersommelier #bivalvecurious #rawbar #letterpressprinting by @inahalfshellist

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3 years ago

One oyster destination I still think about often is the @whitstableoystercompany in Kent, England, which I had the pleasure of experiencing two years ago. Put it on your to visit list.

The Whitstable Oyster Company has had a long history dating back to 1793, though the Romans have loved oysters from this area for far longer (receipts from 80 CE proves it).

The Whitstable oyster "campus" actually has a few things to do. You can book a walking tour of the oyster grounds, or grab a pint of their homebrewed Oyster Country stout at the farmer's dive taproom.

But most importantly, order a platter of rock and seasonal native oysters from the bar on the main floor. Or for a decidedly elevated experience, head upstairs at the newly renovated @theoysterstores for a cocktail and dinner.

#oysterlove #whitstable #oystersommelier #oystertravels by @inahalfshellist

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a month ago

Oyster species in classical and scientific Latin.

Over the years, I've heard many, many variations on the pronunciation of the species names and thought it might be time to set the record straight.

So I asked Latin speaker and educator Andreas of @latinitas_animi_causa for his input on the pronunciation of 10 oyster species (full video on YouTube, link in bio) and here are a few of the highlights!

How do you pronounce "gigas"? by @inahalfshellist

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a month ago

Happy 4th! 🎆🇺🇲 From Massachusetts to Maine, Texas to Alaska, Washington to New York, here's an ode to oysters and fellow oyster nerds from coast to coast across the USA!

Hosting an oyster tasting for my friends at @oysterprojectma at @marshviewgeneralstore with @heybangarang

Scroll through to learn more...

Savoring @gliddenpoint oysters with @lady_oyster at the Glidden Point Oyster Farm SAUNA 😎 in Maine

A visit to @prestigeoysters in San Leon, TX, after a quick tour of Galveston with @nolaoysterqueen @stingrayjshucks

It's a shuck-off in Houston, Texas, with @oystersouth_ !

Shuckers from all over gathered the @oystersouth_ symposium.

A super cool piece of oyster history spotted in @jgossen's garage!

Still thinking about these Olympia oysters, the native Pacific Coast species, enjoyed at @chelseafarmsoysterbar in Olympia, WA.

In Anchorage, Alaska, for the Alaska Mariculture Conference.

Finally got to do a night tide tour at Samish Bay, Washington with @taylorshellfish led by @malinditaylor ahead of the 2nd Oyster Educators Summit by @oystermasterguild!

Partying at the @lobsterplacenyc night market with delicious shellfish and drinks! by @inahalfshellist

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3 months ago

The Essential Oyster Kit covers what I use at home when I'm having oysters.

It's a pretty simple set up that I've edited down over the years. Less is more!

Oyster knives are incredibly personal, so while these work for me, you may prefer something else.

I don't use oyster clamps or other contraptions. They just seem to get in my way and are a pain to store efficiently in my tiny Brooklyn kitchen.

Swipe for more details about each item in my kit. If you've got any questions about gear, leave them in the comments! by @inahalfshellist

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3 months ago

Tell me about merroir without telling me about merroir.

USA turns 250 in a couple of days, which puts things into perspective. If you're 50 today, you've lived one fifth of this country's history. If you're 25, that's still one tenth! And if you're the USA, you've been around for 0.000125% or one-800,000th of the time when oysters have been around (at least 200 million years).

That's a lot of time and change to survive through. They do it without complaint, and they've done it by mostly giving back. Oysters are pretty remarkable in that way and we can learn a thing or two from them.

#happy4th #oysters by @inahalfshellist

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3 months ago

Just enough to cover the adductor muscle in most cases! If your oyster has a small adductor or is very deep cupped, it's okay to add a bit more.

This offers the best balance between the oyster and sauce. When you add too much (like covering the entire oyster with it), it can be a choking experience, quite literally. It will also be more difficult to savor the natural flavor of the oyster.

#oystersommelier #bivalvecurious #oysters by @inahalfshellist

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4 months ago

Become a New Brunswick Oyster Specialist

The New Brunswick Specialty Course by Oyster Master Guild takes you on a deep dive into the merroir, methods, and the influential growers of this unique region.

Based on firsthand research by @inahalfshellist, @shuckerpaddy, developed in partnership with @NBDeliciouslyCanadian and the NB oyster industry, this online course is best suited for intermediate-level oyster enthusiasts and professionals who seek to understand the nuances between NB oyster varietals.

Offered in English with Canadian French subtitles and translated handout. Completion earns 1 credit toward Level 3 Qualification.

Enrollment and access is open now!

Learn more: https://oyster.academy/nb

#oysters #oystersommelier #newbrunswick New Brunswick Specialty Course by Oyster Master Guild title over pictures of oyster farming and products by @inahalfshellist

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4 months ago

This trip changed everything I knew about North American oyster species.

If you know where to look, you can find an exquisite variety of oyster species in Mexico that you can't get elsewhere in North America. Thanks to my friends at Bendito Mar, I got to try not one, not two, but THREE oyster species I had never tasted before. 🤯

The mangrove oyster was growing happily on their own right around the corner from Bendito Mar's San Buto farm site. I haven't confirmed the species, but my best guess is Saccostrea palmula. I thought that it would be metallic and gamey, but it was not! It was pleasantly earthy, slightly creamy, iron notes, and had nice moderate brine.

The Corteziensis aka Pleasure Oyster was brought in for the oyster tasting we did in CDMX from the La Paz area. Lower in salinity, nutty, and reminded me of periwinkles.

Finally, I had two behemoth Stone oysters, which were super meaty and molluscy. Sweet and mineral-forward, it was unlike anything I've tried.

In addition to these, I also got to enjoy many Pacific oysters grown across Baja California Norte and Sur by Bendito Mar and their network of small, artisanal ostioneras. Plus one rando Eastern oyster served at a cute bar.

There's also one oyster producer in BCS that hatches Kumamoto (Magallana sikamea) seed, but we didn't taste any on this trip. No one seemed to know much about Ostrea conchaphila either 🤷‍♀️

#oysters #oysterlove #mexico by @inahalfshellist

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5 months ago

🔎 Oyster Plex > Groundhog

Every spring, the crew at Island Creek Oyster Farm moves their oyster plexes back into Duxbury Bay (internally known as "Crane Day").

I had always wondered where the idea behind these mini floating houses came from. Island Creek founder Skip Bennett started the trend back in 2004. He first worked off his boat, then a tiny two-person float. Then he had the idea to put a house on a 40-foot float. Everyone thought it would sink or flip. Luckily, it did not. Oyster plexes are now a seasonal fixture along the bay, and the words "Oyster Plex" now even appear in Massachusetts state legislation.

I spent a full day with the Island Creek team on their Duxbury campus—exploring the hatchery, caviar room, getting a taste of their Saquish grow site, and eating very well at both Island Creek's farmside raw bar and Windsor House next door. It's been very cool to watch their operations grow over the years!

A huge thank you to the whole ICO crew for being such great hosts and showing me what makes this place so special.

🦪 @islandcreekoysters
📍 Duxbury, MA by @inahalfshellist

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5 months ago

Care for a cup of Oly's?

I absolutely adore the Olympia (Ostrea lurida) oyster. Despite their demure size, they offer a lot of complexity in flavor. Flat, roundish to guitar pick-shaped shells, with an olive green iridescent sheen on the inside. The best quality Oly meats should have a light cream color, fully opaque. Mild to moderate salinity with mineral-forwardness, nuttiness, and notes of maittake or cremini mushroom or copper. Not terribly sweet, though it can give a buttery or sweet cream impression in the finish. Metallicness will vary by location.

Endemic to the Pacific Coast of North America, they were once very abundant and could be found from Washington through California. Nowadays, they are considered a "specialty" varietal that oyster aficionados actively seek out. Difficult to find on the regular on the East Coast (they don't travel well nor have great shelf life), it's an oyster to special order in for your five species flight.

This was taken at @chelseafarmsoysterbar

🔪 Shucked by @hunnicuttwoodworks

#olympiaoyster #oysterlove #plating by @inahalfshellist

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7 months ago

What an incredible day at Jettie Rae’s! 🦪✨

We were honored to welcome internationally recognized oyster expert Julie Qiu (@inahalfshellist) for two exclusive experiences on March 23rd.

From hands-on oyster tastings to a five-course oyster & wine dinner, Julie shared her expertise and passion with every guest.

A huge thank you to Julie and everyone who joined us. It was a rare opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading voices in oyster education while enjoying the signature hospitality of Jettie Rae’s.

If you missed it, stay tuned… we love bringing unforgettable experiences to our neighborhood! 💙

📸: @brook_lyn_white_photo taken in Jettie Rae's by @inahalfshellist

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6 months ago