Comprehensive and in depth books/resources on oysters
January 21, 2016 10:45 PM   Subscribe

I'm going into the oyster business! Help me learn more.

I started working at the family company in Japan. Our farmers mainly produce one type of oyster from seeds received from Hiroshima. I know a little bit about oysters, but I'm interested in learning more about different species and the biology of oysters and such.

I'm finding it difficult to find comprehensive and detailed books about ONLY oysters. I'm willing to pay a lot of money for them, but I just can't find any. Any help? Anything about Japanese oysters would help a lot, but anything will do!

Thank you in advance!
posted by codybaldwin to Science & Nature (6 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Oyster War.
posted by Violet Hour at 10:57 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Have you already checked out the info as well as the references and external links here and here?
posted by Mister Bijou at 1:19 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Rowan Jacobsen's Oyster Guide. Mostly North American-centric but there's a section for international oysters, and there's a lot of text about Kumamoto oysters.
posted by brownpau at 6:13 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Hatchery culture of bivalves: a practical manual
posted by exogenous at 9:33 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: The classic text on oysters is MFK Fisher's slim volume, Consider the Oyster. Very poetic, a touch of history, a few recipes. Sort of oyster ambiance, if you will.

Sex, Death, and Oysters by Robb Walsh is an tour of primarily US and some European oyster farming & fishing. There's some science in there about the different kinds, where they thrive, what oysters are from where and which ones are being farmed where.

And I found but have not read (though they're both on my list):
The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell by Mark Kurlansky (who's written many other nonfiction books, including several on fish; this one looks like it focuses on New York City & the Hudson River)
Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm by Erin Byers Murray

All these recommendations come from an avid oyster eater and nonfiction & food writing fan; not someone in the industry.
posted by carrioncomfort at 9:35 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


Best answer: You might also want to brush up on ocean acidification and whatever parasite is causing PNW oyster farmers to spray pesticides on their beds.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:05 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


« Older how to handle a mean friend?   |   What model is this speaker? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.