A little reason to celebrate
National Oyster Day
Food ยท August 5
A day for oysters: the briny shellfish eaten raw on the half shell, fried, grilled or stewed, and how people across the US enjoy them.
National Oyster Day falls on Thursday, August 5, 2027. That is 282 days away.
An oyster is a bivalve, a soft-bodied animal living between two rough, hinged shells. It spends its life fixed in one spot on a reef or in a bed, filtering seawater for food. Opening one takes a short, stubby knife and a bit of patience.
The flavor depends on the water. Oysters from colder, saltier bays tend to taste briny and clean, while others come across as sweet, buttery or a little metallic, almost like a mineral. People who love them talk about this the way others talk about wine, and they are not entirely wrong to.
The classic way to eat them is raw on the half shell, set on ice with lemon, a sharp vinegar sauce called mignonette, or cocktail sauce. Plenty of people prefer them cooked. Fried oysters go into po'boy sandwiches, grilled oysters come off the fire bubbling with butter and garlic, and oyster stew is a simple mix of oysters, milk and butter.
An oyster bar is a good place to start for anyone new to them, since the menu often lists several kinds side by side with their home waters. Ordering a few different ones and tasting them in a row shows quickly how much the sea changes the taste.
The shells are useful after dinner too. Some coastal programs collect them and return them to the water, where young oysters settle on old shells and build new reefs.
Ways to celebrate
- Try a few raw oysters from different regions and compare them.
- Make a simple oyster stew with milk and butter.
- Look for a local oyster bar and ask about its varieties.
- Order a fried oyster po'boy from a nearby sandwich shop.
- Ask whether a nearby shell recycling program accepts oyster shells.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, August 5 |
| 2027 | Thursday, August 5 |
| 2028 | Saturday, August 5 |
| 2029 | Sunday, August 5 |
| 2030 | Monday, August 5 |
Also on August 5
Categories: Food days