1!!! Can’t do slime!
Finally, one person admits the dislike.
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What about you?
I am a “3”. I like raw oyster fine, but I don’t really seek them out.
Solid 4.
When they’re good, they’re great.
When they’re mediocre, they’re usually still good.
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They’re not slimy, they’re slippery!
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Five! And that goes for those floppy Gulf oysters that were about all we could get in either NO or Nashville. Then I went on my first and only press junket (long story) to the SF Bay area, and the last stop before we were bussed to the airport was a few hours in the Ferry Building, where our hosts had taken over a wine-and-oyster bar. It was there that I got to taste six or eight varieties, mostly from the Northwest plus a couple of French, paired with a wine that went soooo well (too well actually, but I wasn’t driving at that point) with both the oysters and my happily reckless mood … and I have since had some more pretty fancy ones. But those old cheap Gulf guys are still okay with me.
There was a bar in Nashville, long gone, whose kitchen contained both a fine shucker and the best fry cook I’ve known, and it was always painful having to choose which oyster preparation we were going to get. We never felt rich enough to go for both …
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Wins the Thread! 
In honor of this thread I had a half dozen for lunch yesterday. Disappointing in that they were obviously pre-shucked and rather dry instead of plump and moist. Still enjoyed them but they MUST be fresh shucked for my liking.
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That’s a disgrace, NotJ. Where they out of view when you made the order? Obviously not from an oyster/seafood bar…
They came out of the kitchen, no raw bar. It was a beachfront restaurant, although not known as a seafood place, you would like to assume the oysters if on the menu would be “fresh shucked”.
There was some comedian, whose name I forget, who used to order his oysters on the top shell for that reason. Once the oysters are shucked, the top shells are discarded. So he figured that if he ordered top shells, they would have to be freshly shucked.
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Just shucked and dry can happen. Oysters lose their juice gradually once they are harvested. If the oysters have been transported a long distance or have been harvested for a while, it can be dry. Alternatively, after harvest, if the oysters are not stored cup side down, the loss can accelerate.
If the establishment runs circulating salt water tanks for the oysters instead of just laying them on ice, the oysters will be very happy.
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I am at a 5 too. We were just in Chicago where we had delicious oysters at Shaws Crab House downtown where they are 1/2 price for Happy Hour.
When we venture into San Francisco, we usually hit up Waterbar for their $1 oyster special with a beverage. Can’t beat the price or the view.
- With a touch of mignonette and of course the oyster liquor.
But I haven’t had them in years now ( I stopped eating all
seafood a very long time ago but would have a couple raw oysters every few years)
If your reputable local restaurants are serving fresh raw oysters from one of the coasts then i would trust them, they are shipped all over the place.
Just ask questions where they are from, and probably don’t order them in a diner with a 50cent oyster special on a sunday night… 
I’m right there with you on the 4.5! Love em but will not seek it out at all costs.
My father was an oyster fanatic growing up and he would always try to get me to eat these Korean fermented oysters, which I absolutely despised.
They would literally make me gag and heave. In my high school years I became a little more adventurous and would occasionally try a raw oyster (on the half shell) at parties and such, but every time I did it would still make me gag.
One day at a fancy wedding, I was watching all these people cream themselves over the pile of oysters they had out. I decided I don’t want to miss out on whatever deliciousness was going on and that I would keep trying them until I learned to enjoy it. The first couple still made me want to throw up, but somehow on the third or fourth try, something clicked. Suddenly I kind of started enjoying them. This was a pretty life changing moment for me - I was no longer afraid of any food, and I pretty much eliminated my dislike of any food item.
After that I was able to enjoy raw oysters in small quantities, but would get this queasy feeling after 4 or 5. Over the years I’ve bumped that up to a couple dozen or so but I don’t get excited about gorging on oysters the way I do with, say, steak.
Cooked oysters took longer still for me to enjoy, but now I love oysters in all forms, even (or especially) the fermented stuff. The only thing I don’t like is the price. 1$ is the right price for me, and I will always pass on $3+ oysters unless it’s a special occasion or I’m with company who demands it.
I recently had an excellent $1 oyster feast for my birthday. It was a good one.
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Can you describe the fermented oysters, are they comparable to anything else? Does the texture of the oyster change? I like kimchi, I like fish sauce and anchovies, so I’m curious if the fermented oysters are anything like a combo of those, I’ve never seen them before. Thanks!
I remember those raw spiced Korean oysters… I used to love them until they got me really sick one time.
Hey Babette, if you like oysters and Kimchi you would probably like the fermented oysters. Actually you might have already had some without realizing it - as you may know seafood is a common addition to Kimchi (most typical being fermented shrimp) and adding some oyster to kimchi is pretty common.
In terms of taste, imagine a really salty oyster with flavors of kimchi and fish sauce. Most major Korean markets carry it in their banchan section.
If you’re into kimchi and fermented seafood, I would absolutely recommend you also seek out some Myeongran jeot (Fermented fish eggs) and my absolute favorite, Changnanjeot (fermented fish guts). White rice, a little of those things, and some seaweed is a magical simple combo of some serious flavors.
@Chemicalkinetics - ugh, I’m sorry to hear that! Honestly I was pretty scared of fermented oysters for a while after my mom explained how it’s made - you salt the damn things and leave it out at room temperature for a day or two!! Luckily I haven’t gotten sick from oysters or seafood yet. I hope you give it a try again some time.
