Quonset Point Oysters

Quonset Point Oyster Flavor Profile Characteristics

Quonset Point Oysters are an East Coast oyster from one of the Massachusetts & Rhode Island oyster appellations. They are cultivated in the nutrient rich waters of East Passage, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island where they develop an orange-hued shell. Quonset Point Oysters are farmed by the tray suspension method. Oysters which are cultivated by the suspension method are the primadonnas of oyster. They are suspended in mesh trays in deep water their entire lives, protected from predators, mud, sand and silt. They have beautiful shells with deep cups, and tend to have brittle shells because they never had to fight for survival. The oyster flavor profile of suspended oysters tends to be clean, sweet & light, with meats which are tender.

Because of their brittle shell, it is best to use the Chesapeake Oyster Shucking Style, going in through the lip. Using the traditional Hinge Oyster Shucking Style on brittle shelled (new shell) oysters can be an oyster shucker’s nightmare because going in through the hinge tends to result in breaking the shell of suspension cultivated oysters.

Quonset Point Oyster
Location	East Passage, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island
Species	Virginica Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)
Oyster Availability	Year around
Size	up to 3 1/2″
Oyster Cultivation	Suspension Tray cultivation
Oyster Flavor Profile	Quonset Point Oysters are renowned for their flavor. They have deep cups, a brine which changes from mild to pronounced depending upon the season and they have a clean finish.